Moonlight
by Vance McGill
Summary: Post-Breaking Dawn fan-fiction. It has been a year since Bella was turned into a vampire, and Renesmee came into the world. A group of new citizens arrive in Forks, and bring an aura of mystery with them. More inside!
1. Homecoming

**Chapter 1  
Homecoming**

**Summary: Post-Breaking Dawn fan-fiction. It has been a year since Bella was turned into a vampire, and Renesmee came into the world. A group of new citizens arrive in Forks, and bring an aura of mystery with them. There are three reasons they shouldn't be trusted: 1) They are never seen during a clear-sky night, 2) ever since their arrival, people and animals have gone missing from Forks and its surrounding towns and 3) they are real genuine werewolves. Ships: Bella/Edward; more.**

**Author's Note: This fan-fiction marks a couple of firsts for me. It will be the first ever Twilight fan-fiction I've ever written and the first "first person" fan-fiction I've ever written. I hope I can write this just as good as anyone, but I hope you will also understand that I have very limited knowledge for this type of fan-fiction.  
**  
**Bella's PoV  
**  
It had been nearly a year since I had been turned into a vampire, and I had never felt better. In the past year, I'd had a complete transformation, in the literal sense of the words. The color of my eyes had darkened to almost a golden-brown: the same color of freshly-baked cornbread. I still had to wear sunglasses or contacts in public, because the color was so inhuman. This annoyed me the worst. My strength, while it had weakened a bit, was still incredible. I was as strong as my husband, Edward, and a little bit faster than him, which I loved dearly. My skin was still the pale complexion I had during my first few days of being a vampire, and I looked as if I had never seen a second of daylight, though that wasn't too much of a stretch. I glittered and glowed in the sunlight, which made it dangerous to be out in public during a particularly sunny day.

This is exactly why Edward, my daughter Renesmee, and I lived in New Hampshire. The bad thing about living in New Hampshire, was that, compared to Forks, Washington, it was completely on the other side of the United States. But there were a lot of good things too. For one thing, the weather was mostly cloudy all year round. There were rarely any sunny days, especially where we lived. For any normal human, it would have been depressing. But for a family of vampires, including one half-vampire, it was perfect.

We lived in a cabin in a forest just an hour's drive from Dartmouth College. I didn't attend the college, but since I had to tell my parents and my friends that I was attending Dartmouth, it was a good idea to make it believable. The forest we lived in was filled with animals and barely had any visitors from mortals. Perfect for "vegetarian vampires". We could have our fill of the wildlife, and nobody would notice.

"The seven-o-clock p.m. flight to Seattle, Washington is now boarding," a clear, cool voice said over the p.a. system.

Edward, Renesmee and I were headed for Forks, Washington, but we would have to fly to Seattle. We would be going home for mine and Nessie's birthdays. Of course, they weren't normal birthdays. A vampire's birthday was basically the day of the year we had become a vampire. But, for me, it was so close to my human birthday, it didn't matter much. Nessie's birthday was three days before mine, so it was only smart to celebrate our birthdays together. Not that I liked celebrating my birthday.

Carlisle and Esme would meet us when we arrived at approximately five-o-clock in the morning. It had taken a lot of planning to get ready for this trip. First of all, we were going to have to travel by night, and since we wanted to get to Forks quickly, we would have to travel by airplane. Unfortunately, this was Renesmee's first time on an airplane. It was also the first time Renesmee had been around humans in quite a while. I was very worried, but Edward assured me she would be fine. Of course, it took a lot of persuasion…

Flashback begins:

The week prior to our trip was quite eventful. On Wednesday evening, after Nessie had fallen asleep, Edward and I were planning our schedule.

"So on Friday, the day before our plane trip, we will go hunting," I said to Edward, as I read through the piece of paper he was writing on.

"I thought that would probably be the best idea," Edward said, "It will be a long trip, and I'd hate to get hungry."

I couldn't help but agree.

"We need to make sure Nessie has had her fill too," Edward said, "I can't imagine a cup of human blood will be on the menu."

Renesmee's nickname didn't bother me as much as it had when she was born. Nessie was a wonderful nickname, and as long as no one compared my daughter to the Loch Ness Monster, I would be happy with it.

"That's probably an accurate guess," I said.

Nessie's appetite had been on a metaphorical rollercoaster over the past few months. While she didn't have a demanding appetite for human blood, there were still times that she craved it.

Carlisle had expected it and had express-shipped a large box of packages of human blood to us. The day we picked that up from the UPS store in the city proved to be an interesting one. Thankfully, there weren't any difficult questions for us to answer. Because we put the blood on ice, it lasted a long time, and there were still a number of packages in the freezer at the moment.

Other than blood, Nessie's appetite was the same as any normal vegetarian vampire, even though she wasn't your normal vampire. Nessie's growth spurt had slowed down over the past few months, but she was still roughly the size of a normal eight-or-nine year old child. She was quite strong, and, as a result, quite a nice addition in our hunts in the forest. I didn't like when Nessie had wanted to hunt at first. But once we taught her, and made sure she was safe, I started getting accustomed to the idea.

"Have you told Charlie we were coming?" Edward asked me.

"I was going to call him today," I said, having planned on it for a few days now and had yet to get around to it.

"Do you know what you are going to tell him?" Edward asked.

I cringed when he asked me that. I hated to lie to my father, and I had been doing quite a bit of that ever since I became a vampire. It was something I had to expect. I wouldn't put my father in danger just because I wanted to keep honest with him. It was "need to know" with my father, and unfortunately he didn't need to know.

"I was thinking of telling him that I dropped out of Dartmouth," I said.

Edward's expression turned hard. I hated when he did this. I could never tell how he felt.

"I don't see why that is a problem," I said, "I never enrolled into the college anyway."

"It's just part of the story, Bella," Edward said, "How many times do I have to repeat that?"

At least a thousand more times. Anyway, I was ready for that.

"Story schmory," I said, waving a dismissive hand, "Our daughter looks like she has aged two or three years since we moved away from Forks, and I already have to endure my father's surprise when he sees her."

"Charlie knows Nessie is… err… special," Edward said.

"Exactly," I said, "And because our daughter is so special, she can't attend a normal school, so my father will believe that she is home-schooled."

"Which isn't far from the truth, of course," Edward said.

"Exactly!" I said, again, "So my explanation to Charlie is that I am a stay-at-home mother and Nessie's teacher."

"And what am I?" Edward asked.

"A rookie police officer," I said, cringing.

I didn't know how he would take that. But to my surprise, he laughed that adorable throaty laugh I loved.

"Charlie will love that!" he laughed.

"That is what I am hoping for," I said.

"And are you going to tell Jacob we're coming?" Edward asked, and I could hear him grinding his teeth when he said that.

"I… err… already did," I admitted.

"Oh," Edward said, simply.

"You know Jacob calls every other week," I said.

"Yes," Edward said through his teeth, "If my family and your father didn't call us, I would disconnect our phone."

"Jacob would be upset," I said, frowning, "I would be upset, and you know that Nessie would be unbearable."

When Jacob called, he didn't just want to talk to me. Most of the time, he wanted to talk to Nessie, and Nessie loved to talk to him. Off the phone, Nessie didn't do much talking. She still loved to communicate with me and Edward through touch and our minds. But when Jacob called, Nessie was a chatter-box. Nessie's non-vocal communication was almost unbearable for Edward. Nessie's voice was soothing, and Edward loved it. If I didn't have a say in it, Edward would have forced Nessie to talk to us for at least an hour a day. I, of course, didn't want to force anything on my daughter and Edward didn't want to make me unhappy, so I usually won those arguments.

"Well, if Jacob knows," Edward said, "I'll have to remember to give him and the mutts an open invitation."

I groaned. Of course. The party. I hated parties, and Edward knew that. He accidentally brought up the fact that there was going to be a birthday party. When I complained, he said it wasn't just for me, but for Nessie. Even though Nessie looked eight or nine, she still would only be a year old in a few days time. Nessie would, of course, love the party and that was why I agreed to it. Edward knew I was still mad that I was included in the party's special guests, and that was when he blamed Alice for the idea. Ah… Alice. The ungodly beautiful bane of my non-social existence… and also my sister-in-law. I should have known she was behind it.

I decided it was time to change the subject, so Edward wouldn't get into the party plans.

"So, about Nessie," I said.

"What about her?" Edward asked.

"Well," I said, "This will be her very first plane ride. You know it is going to be hard for her. And she hasn't been around a large group of humans in a long time. Do you think she will be ready for it?"

"I think so," Edward said, "We give her a cup or two of human blood before the trip, and she'll be happy."

"You know I don't like forcing that on her," I said, frowning.

"It's what we have to do," Edward said.

He smiled, and I could have hit him. It was one of those beautiful, breathtaking smiles that even an immortal would faint at the sight of it. I didn't faint, but I gave into it. I kissed him, and he returned it with that strong, fierce passion that couldn't be endured by any human, but was the kind that I cherished. It nearly mimicked the same passionate kiss we shared when he first held me in his strong arms the day I became a vampire, but it was also unique in its own way. That is what I loved about it. That is what I loved about him. Only when the fire in my throat burned to an almost unbearable heat did I break the kiss.

"Mmm," I muttered, dreamily, "Still as good as the first time."

Edward laughed. And that finished our conversation for the night, even though the rest of the night was still ours for the taking. While it was true, that we couldn't sleep, we still used those night hours for good purposes. There were also times that we used it for really good purposes. I had a feeling it would be one of those nights…

Flashback ends…

Edward, Nessie and I boarded the flight and took our seats. Nessie took the window seat, and I sat right beside her.

"You okay, Nessie?" I asked my daughter, as Edward put our on-board luggage in the overhead compartment.

Nessie put her hand to my face, and through our minds, she told me she was perfect. Of course she was. I didn't need to hear it from her to know that.

"That's a good girl," I said. "Ready to see Grampa and Jacob?"

Nessie nodded happily, as Edward took the aisle seat beside me.

An attendant came by a few minutes later. She had short blond hair, tucked under her short purple hat. She was rather attractive for a human, and I noticed a few of the men around us gawking at her. I couldn't help but roll my eyes behind my sunglasses.

"Would any of you like pillows and a blanket when the plane gets in the air?" she asked.

"I think that would be fine," Edward said.

"Would your beautiful daughter like something?" she asked, "Perhaps to color on? Or read? Maybe drink?"

I glanced at the attendant as she took a second look at us. Was she thinking how odd it was that a couple who looked as young as we did had a daughter that old? Perhaps Edward would tell me. I ignored it for the moment and turned to Nessie. This would be her first test of the trip. I was pleasantly surprised when she only smiled.

"She's shy," I said to the attendant, not looking at her, "But I think she'll be fine."

"All right," the attendant said, smiling, "By the way, my name is Penelope. Penny for short. Call me, and I will be happy to be of service."

"Thank you," I said.

The attendant moved on to the next seat.

"Get some sleep," I said to Nessie, "We will be in Forks when you wake up."

She nodded and turned her attention to the window.

"We'll need to keep an eye on that Penelope," Edward breathed in my ear, "She's having trouble deciding whether Nessie is our adopted or biological daughter."

"I thought so," I whispered, low enough only for Edward to hear, "She wouldn't say anything, would she?"

"Don't you worry about it," Edward whispered, his lips turned up in that dashing smile of his.

I still couldn't help but worry.

"It's a night trip," Edward whispered, "so I think we all need to at least pretend we will sleep through some of the trip."

I silently groaned. Feigning sleep was something I wasn't used to. It might prove to be difficult. It was a good thing I was wearing my sunglasses.

"Don't worry," Edward said, "It's easier than you think."

"Really?" I asked, skeptical.

"It's basically like a very long day-dream," Edward laughed softly.

"Uh-huh," I said, "And what do you usually day-dream about?"

"Recently, you mean?" he asked.

He looked at me and grinned. If I could blush, my face would give away my thoughts. Lucky Edward couldn't read my mind.

--------------------------------------

The take-off and landing were both a bit rough for Nessie, and during both events, she held onto my hand. Her feelings were sent toward me in waves, and I had to do my best to calm her down. When we landed, however, she was peaceful again.

We retrieved our luggage and met Carlisle and Esme in the airport. Nessie, of course, was extremely happy to see them. She ran over to Carlisle, and he hugged her.

"Oh!" Carlisle said, softly, "You are getting big. Last time I saw you, I could pick you up. Do you remember? It's hard to believe you are only a year old."

"Carlisle, shh!" Esme hushed her husband.

"Oh, yes," Carlisle said, "Sorry, dear. Sometimes I can't help myself, especially around our beautiful granddaughter."

We followed Carlisle out of the airport and to the car. Ah, he had brought one of his favorites. I couldn't remember the type, only that it got up to speeds in the one-hundred and fifties. The early Seattle morning was partly cloudy and I was relieved we had arrived on schedule. A couple hours later, and the sun would have risen over the horizon.

"How was your flight?" Carlisle asked, as we all hopped into the car.

"Great," Edward said.

"Yeah," I said, "If you don't count the nosy flight attendant."

Edward peered over at me with those piercing eyes. I couldn't tell whether it was a glance of annoyance or something different. Carlisle started the car and drove out of the parking lot.

"Nosy attendant?" Esme asked.

"Nothing we couldn't handle," Edward said, "I promise, mother, there were no threats. She seemed to like Nessie, and other than the first time, there were no other thoughts about the possible age differences between parents and child, especially when there is no question that the child looks just like her parents."

"Oh," Carlisle said, his voice low with comprehension, "Yes, it would seem a bit strange to someone who didn't understand."

"What, in our lives, isn't strange, Carlisle?" I asked.

"She got me there," Carlisle said.

Carlisle, Esme and Edward laughed. I couldn't help but laugh too.

"Happy to be back in Forks, Nessie?" Carlisle asked.

Nessie nodded.

"Still can't get her to talk?" Carlisle asked, looking through the rear-view mirror at his granddaughter.

"Oh, she talks when she wants to," Edward said.

"Perhaps she is just tired," Esme said, soothingly, "It was a long trip."

"Yes, it was," I agreed.

It took a couple hours to get into Forks, even with Carlisle driving over the speed limit whenever possible. As we entered the small town, I looked out the window. I recognized everything. My old high school, where my life, before this life, had really begun. The police station where Charlie was probably stuck behind a desk, waiting for the next sign of action to come his way. I saw the outfitter's store, where I had worked. That seemed like a lifetime ago. I reminded myself, that in a way, it really was a lifetime ago. Though, the more we drove through Forks, Washington, I couldn't help but notice that there was something different. I couldn't figure out what it was however, but something about the tiny town was definitely different.

I wouldn't let that bug me, I decided. I was finally home.

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**Chapter Finished! I hope you liked it. Like I said, this was the first "first person" fan-fiction I've ever wrote, and the first Twilight fan-fiction I've written.**

**This is only the first chapter. More to come!**

**Feedback would be great!**


	2. Reunion

**Chapter 2  
Reunion**

The sun was nearly over the horizon when we arrived. There weren't very many clouds in the sky, and I was relieved that Carlisle had parked in the garage. While I knew there couldn't be a human around for a few miles (otherwise Edward would have known), I still didn't like to be out in direct sunlight.

Edward and Carlisle grabbed our luggage and Esme, Nessie and I followed them into the house.

"We can put your stuff in the cottage later," Carlisle said, "I don't think we should delay the reunion much longer."

He cleared his throat.

"Guess who's here!" he announced.

Carlisle's loud voice was drowned out by a very feminine squeal I heard coming from upstairs, followed by the sound of rushing footsteps. Alice raced down the stairs, and I was surprised she didn't trip. She ran over to me and hugged me.

"My sister!" Alice squealed, "Welcome back!"

If I could breathe, I probably wouldn't be able to right now.

"I don't know why you are so surprised," I gasped, "You could probably see me coming."

"No I couldn't!" Alice said, releasing me from her bear hug, "Did you forget? I can't see you with the little runt around. Speaking of…"

She turned to Nessie.

"Well," she said, in a surprised tone, "I guess I can't call you a little runt anymore, huh?"

Nessie smiled.

"Aw," she said, waving a dismissive hand, "You'll still be my little runt no matter how tall you get. Where is Aunt Alice's hug?"

Nessie walked over to Alice and hugged her.

"Where's Jasper and the others?" Edward asked.

"I'm coming," Jasper's familiar voice said above us, "I would have been here sooner, but Alice pushed me out of the way when she heard you. Only because I let her, if I might add."

"Hmmph!" Alice hissed.

"Where are Em and Rose?" Edward asked, looking around.

"Hunting," Jasper said, as he walked down the stairs, "Moose, I think. They've been gone for a couple hours. They'll probably be back soon. I told them to leave a few for you guys."

"We hunted yesterday," I said.

"Ooh!" Alice said, "How was it? I always hunted to hunt in the forests of New Hampshire. I heard some of the wildlife out there are feisty."

"Nothing too bad," Edward said, "Our little Nessie managed to tackle a bear cub by herself."

"You did?!" Alice asked Nessie, "Good job!"

"Only because I didn't let her tackle a big one, I might add," I said, "I thought it would be better if it was mother vs. mother bear."

"Maybe next time Aunt Alice can take you to tackle your first large one," Alice suggested to Nessie.

"We'll see about that," I said.

"So what are your plans today?" Carlisle asked.

"Bella wanted to visit Jacob and Charlie," Edward said.

"Of course," Carlisle said.

"How have the mutts been lately?" Edward asked.

"No trouble at all," Esme said, "I swear Billy is close to including your father in his Sunday sports parties, though."

"I can't blame him," Carlisle said, "He gets really lonely. You know, Bella, your father rarely goes to Billy's parties now. He only goes when Billy assures him that Jacob and his friends won't be there."

I sighed.

"I'll talk to Charlie about that," I said.

"While we are on the subject," Carlisle said to me, "What else are you going to discuss with him? I mean, Nessie's changed so much since your father last saw her. You know your father's ability to keep his questions to himself might not stay solid for long. We can't afford for the Volturi to have another reason to come to Forks, you know."

"Charlie knows Nessie is special," I said, echoing my husband's usual response when it came to that subject.

"Of course he does," Carlisle said, "But that isn't my only point. Before too long, your father is bound to notice that you aren't aging any more. You should see some of your old friends, Bella. Their teenager years are leaving them, both in years and appearance."

"What do you want me to say, Carlisle?" I asked, my temper rising a little, "I have no explanation rather than the obvious one I have to keep to myself!"

"Bella," Edward said, frowning.

"No, it's fine," Carlisle said, raising a hand to stop Edward, "Bella just needs to realize that her father is a very smart man."

"Of course I know that!" I exclaimed, "Do you know how hard it is for me to lie to my father? I can't give my father an honest explanation to any of his unspoken questions."

"It's what we all have to face, Bella," Carlisle said, "You are a very unusual vampire, Bella. You decided to become a vampire, even if it meant hurting your family. No, not physically, but emotionally. And yet, you still love your family and friends. You care enough that you want to be honest with them about your -- for no better term -- your condition. Bella, you carry a heavy burden because of your love for your human family and friends. After too long, even with your strength, you will find it hard to carry that burden."

If vampires could cry, a waterfall of tears would be coming down my face. Carlisle was exactly right, and yet the thought of it angered me. I felt my hands shaking, and I knew I had to get out of the room.

"We need to take our things to the cottage," I said, making an excuse to leave, "Come, Nessie."

I picked up mine and Nessie's luggage and walked out the back door.

"Are you okay, Mommy?" Nessie asked.

I smiled. The soothing sound of my daughter's voice calmed me down a good measure.

"I am now," I said.

"Want to race to the cottage?" Nessie asked, innocence ringing through her voice.

"Do you remember where it is?" I asked her.

Nessie nodded.

"On go," I said, "Three… two… one!"

Nessie sped off.

"I didn't say go!" I called after her, "I'll get you!"

I heard my daughter's laughter, as I sped off toward her and the cottage. She beat me by half-a-stride.

"I won!" Nessie said.

"No fair," I said, "I was carrying luggage."

"That never stopped you before," a familiar voice said.

I turned. Emmett and Rosalie walked out from behind the far wall of the cottage.

"Welcome, home, sis," Rosalie said, "Hey, Nessie!"

Nessie ran over to Rosalie and hugged her.

"Oh my, you are getting big," Rosalie commented, "You know, if you tried very hard, I think you could beat Uncle Emmett in an arm wrestling match."

"Only because," Emmett said, "I would be too worried I would hurt her."

"Gives her the advantage," Rosalie said, then turned to Nessie, "Remember, Nessie, you always need to find the advantage in your foe. Right?"

Nessie nodded. I then heard a silent whoosh only inhuman ears could hear.

"Now, now," Edward's voice rang behind me, "I believe my daughter is a little young for some of your pointers, Rose."

"Little brother!" Emmett boomed, walking over to Edward, and grasping him in a bear hug.

"Catch any moose?" Edward asked.

"I see Jasper told you about our adventure," Emmett said, "Yes, actually. We only captured one, but it must have been -- what, Rose? Ten hands high?"

"Seven," Rosalie corrected him, "Emmett exaggerates too much."

"Only one moose this time?" Edward asked, "Surely there were more?"

"Not too many," Rosalie said, "I was just as surprised as you are. Usually we can get a large herd. The one we nailed was the biggest one there, and even then there were less than half-a-dozen."

"Is that uncommon?" I asked.

"We can usually find a good herd around this time of the year," Rosalie said, "It's common to find at least twenty in a herd. That is why we went for moose. I thought we were in for a good meal."

"Where would they go?" I asked, "Would they have migrated south?"

"If that's true," Emmett said, "It must be really far south then."

"Strange," Edward commented.

"We'll worry about that later," Rosalie said, "From the looks of it, you probably want to get yourselves settled in. Must have been a long trip."

"Yeah," I said.

"We'll see you guys back up at the house then," Rosalie said.

With that, Rosalie and Emmett sped off toward the house. Edward, Nessie and I walked into the cottage. There wasn't a spot of dust anywhere. It looked exactly like we had left it.

"Esme must have cleaned," Edward said, looking around.

Nessie ran toward her room.

"No running in the house, Nessie!" I called after her, "We don't want to break any of Grandma Esme's things, do we?"

"I got a bigger bed!" Nessie exclaimed, "Come see!"

"Must be one of Nessie's birthday presents Esme told me about," Edward said, as he and I walked toward Nessie's room.

Sure enough, the newest addition to the small room was a large single-sized brass bed. Brass knobs were on the tip of the four corners. The brass had been polished, and almost sparkled in the daylight.

"I wondered where that bed went too," Edward said.

"What?" I asked.

"Esme's had it in her posession for a very long time," Edward explained, "Then after a while, it vanished. I thought it got destroyed. I guess not."

"You hear that, Nessie?" I said to my daughter, "This is a very old bed. I don't want to even hear you try to jump on it."

Nessie pouted. Edward laughed and I followed him into our bedroom.

"So what do you think happened to the moose population?" I asked him.

"Hmm?" Edward said, "Oh. They probably just migrated, like you said. Nothing to worry about."

I nodded, but I wasn't too sure. Had the large animals decided to just move on, or was there another explanation?

---------------------------------------------

Knowing Nessie really wanted to see him, Edward and I decided to visit Jacob before we visited Charlie. Besides, I still wasn't ready for the possible questions that came my way. Jacob, of course, would be more welcoming. So around noon, Edward, Nessie and I took one of Edward's cars that he had kept in Forks and drove to La Push. I wanted to surprise Jacob, so I didn't call him to expect us. I half-expected him to not be at his house.

But when we arrived, and I honked the horn, Jacob was the one to open the door. He walked outside and I couldn't help but notice that he had grown at least a few more inches.

"When is he going to stop growing?" I heard Edward mutter, as we stepped out of the car.

"Hey Jake!" I exclaimed, waving at my best friend.

"Bells!" Jacob said, "Nessie!"

"Jakey!" Nessie exclaimed, running toward him.

"Jakey?" Edward mouthed to me.

I shrugged.

"When did you guys get here?" Jacob asked.

"Around seven this morning," I answered, "Where's Billy?"

"Inside," Jacob said, nodding to his house, "I wouldn't bother him. Seahawks are losing and he is a little err… pissed."

I laughed.

"How is the pack?" I asked, "Sam, Seth, and everyone?"

"Ah, yes… Sam," he said, slowly.

"What's wrong?" I asked, afraid of the tone of his voice.

"Sam and Emily moved away," Jacob said, softly, "A few months ago. They're somewhere in Wyoming, I think. I don't know why. They haven't bothered to write in a while. Anyway, I am the new Alpha of the whole pack."

"As it always should have been," I said, with a smile.

I felt a tinge of sadness for Sam and Emily just up and moving, but that was all. Out of all of the pack, Sam Uley was my least favorite. I wouldn't tell anyone, but I was happy to see him out of La Push.

"How is everyone?" I asked.

"Great," I said, "Though I think Leah has found her imprint."

"What?!" I said, surprised.

Out of everyone in the pack, I had least expected Leah to find her imprint.

"This was only recently," Jacob said, "Only don't mention it to her. She's a little confused at the moment. I don't know. A few days ago, we had a bonfire and Leah brought a guest. She said she met him at the mall, and a few minutes later I realized she only had eyes for him."

"And," Edward said, "How does… er… he --"

"Louis," Jacob said.

"How does Louis feel?" Edward corrected himself.

"As far as I can tell," Jacob said, "Louis is madly in love with her."

"And does he know?" I asked, "You know -- about your pack's -- err -- furry little problem?"

Edward sniggered at the term.

"I don't know, to be honest," Jacob said, ignoring Edward, "That is why I said she is a little confused. She doesn't know whether to reveal her secret."

"How does Seth feel about it?" I asked.

"He couldn't be happier for his sister," Jacob said.

"Maybe I should meet this Louis," Edward said, "I'm sure a quick trip through his mind would reveal what he knows."

"Would that be wise?" I asked, even though I was happy that Edward offered to help, "I mean… shouldn't Leah talk to him herself?"

"What do you think, Jacob?" Edward asked, "You're her Alpha."

"Give her a few days," Jacob said, "I will observe Leah's actions. If something gets suspicious, I will decide what to do then. So, Bella, have you talked to your father since you been here?"

"No," I said, shaking my head, "That is our next destination."

"Ah," Jacob said.

"Why?" I asked.

"He's been avoiding me," Jacob said, sadly, "And I think I know why. Only, he won't let me talk to him, and he won't talk about me to Billy. If Billy mention's my name, Charlie hangs up the phone."

I sighed.

"I'll talk to him about you," I promised him, "He'll listen to me."

"Thank you, Bells," Jacob said, "I really would hate to be an enemy of the Forks sheriff, you know?"

I nodded.

"Speaking of," Edward said, "Perhaps we shouldn't delay our visit with Charlie any longer."

"What?" Nessie said, frowning, "We have to leave already?"

"We'll visit again, Nessie," I said, "I promise. Besides, don't you want to see Grampa?"

Nessie nodded eagerly.

"You go see your Grampa, Nessie," Jacob said, kneeling down to her, "We'll see each other soon. Can I get a hug?"

I heard a low growl from Edward as our daughter hugged Jacob.

"Time to go," I said.

"Bye Jakey!" Nessie said.

"Goodbye," Jacob said, before looking up at me, "See you later, Bella. Welcome back. You too, Edward."

Edward waved quickly. I smiled and retreated into the car. Nessie was still waving goodbye to Jacob as we backed down the road.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

We made a beeline for my old house in Forks. I looked up at the sky and was happy to see that clouds were covering it.

"Looks like rain," I said, happily.

Edward nodded. We arrived at my old house a short while later and parked in the driveway. We stepped out of the car and walked up to the door. I tapped lightly on it, afraid I would knock it down otherwise.

A moment later, the door opened and Charlie stood there.

"My beautiful Bella!" he said.

"Hi, Daddy," I said, hugging him.

"Come on in," he said, "I want to get a good look at you."

It felt strange to be anxious in my old house. It was almost as if I was unwelcome by some powerful force. Without another thought, I followed Charlie into the living room.

"Well," he said, "I must say, you do look a little different. Though not by much."

"I can't say the same for you, Dad," I said.

Charlie's hair had more grey spots than I remembered. A wrinkle or two had formed on his forehead.

"So I'm getting old," Charlie shrugged, "And, there you are, Nessie! Come give your old Grampa a hug!"

Nessie hugged Charlie.

"How is my little granddaughter?" Charlie asked, "Oh… well, not so little anymore, I see."

I heard the mixture of curiosity and questioning in his voice.

"I guess it is just what I have to expect," Charlie said, "from such a special little girl like you. Edward. How are you?"

"Wonderful as always, Chief Swan," Edward said, in his polite voice he always used around my father.

"Sit down! Please!" Charlie urged us, "You must be exhausted."

"It has already been a long day," I said, sitting down on the couch.

Nessie sat down with Charlie, and Edward sat next to me.

"We visited Jacob, Dad," I said.

Charlie stared silently at me for a moment. I glanced over at Edward, and noticed that he was probably reading my father's mind.

"How is he?" Charlie finally asked with a very strained voice.

"Better than ever," I said.

"That's… good," Charlie said.

Edward nudged me and I knew I needed to change the subject for a while. I would return to the subject of Jacob later.

"So, Dad," I said, "As we drove through Forks, I couldn't put my finger on something. I didn't know what it was, but it seems there is something different about this town."

"I think I know what you mean," Charlie said, "This town has grown in population since you left."

"Really?" I asked, a bit surprised at the news.

"Yes," I said, "By large numbers too. Ever since the serial murders in Seattle, more and more citizens have moved out of the big city. Many of them have moved to Forks and the surrounding towns."

"Have you met any of them?" Edward asked.

"I'm sheriff, Edward," Charlie said, "I make sure I know everybody in this small town."

"Anybody interesting?" Edward asked.

I stared at Edward for a moment. Had he seen something in my father's mind that made him ask these questions?

"Now that you mention it," Charlie said, "There is one particular family. They are kind of similar to your family."

"In what way?" I asked.

I froze. Exactly how similar were they?

"They are a big family," Charlie said, "I haven't met everyone of them, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were bigger in size than your family, Edward. Their last name is Grayson, I think. I've only met three of the family members. The father, Lyle, is an interesting individual. Well, to be honest, the whole family is interesting. If I didn't know any better, I'd say they were afraid of the dark."

"Excuse me?" I muttered.

"The only time I see Lyle and his family is during the day," Charlie said, "Of course, it isn't like I am stalking them, so I'm probably wrong. I probably just don't notice them during the night."

I sighed, relieved. Well, at least they weren't vampires. If they were, they would have stayed inside during the daylight.

"These Graysons," Edward said, "Where do they live?"

"Somewhere closer to La Push, I'd say," Charlie said, "Why do you ask?"

"My father didn't mention them to me," Edward said, "I'm just surprised. He's like you. He personally likes to know everyone around here."

"Perhaps he hasn't met them," Charlie suggested.

"Yes," Edward said, "I should ask him."

"Nessie," Charlie said, "Are you a bit hungry? You must be. I bet you haven't had lunch yet."

Nessie nodded.

"Come with me to the kitchen," Charlie said, "I think if we look hard enough, we can find that left-over pizza."

"Is it meat-lovers?" Nessie asked.

"You know," Charlie said, thoughtfully, "I think it might be."

Nessie smiled and leapt up, then headed for the kitchen.

"Quick one, isn't she?" Charlie said to me, laughing, "Wait for me, Nessie!"

He stood up, and disappeared into the kitchen.

"What is your fascination with the Graysons?" I asked Edward silently.

"I don't know yet," Edward said, "Ask me again some other time."

I narrowed my eyebrows. Did my husband know something that he wasn't telling me?

----------------------------------------

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	3. Breaking News

**Chapter 3**

**Breaking News**

That night at the cottage, after I tucked in Nessie and kissed her goodnight, I retreated to the living room. Edward was watching a movie on television, but I didn't know what it was. I sat down beside him, and he smiled at me. I smiled, but didn't speak up. Too many things were already on my mind. He must have read my expression and realized I didn't feel like talking at the moment, because he returned his attention to the movie.

I wished I knew what was on his mind. What was he not telling me about the Graysons? Did he know anything about them? I went over what my father had told me, which wasn't much to begin with. They had only recently moved into the city, and had probably once lived in Seattle. Charlie thought they were a pretty big family… maybe bigger than the Cullens.

But the strangest thing out of everything was that he thought they were afraid of the dark. Was he right, or was there a reasonable explanation? Perhaps Charlie and the Graysons never crossed paths at night. My dad was known to stay at home during the evenings unless police duty called him in. Perhaps the family was just shy. Though that wouldn't explain why they were so active during the day. Perhaps they didn't trust many people. I assumed they had moved away from Seattle, and I couldn't blame them for their lack of trust, especially with the events of the previous year.

But why did it seem that Edward thought ill of them? I knew he wouldn't admit that, but I could tell it in his voice whenever the Graysons were brought up. As far as I knew, he hadn't met the Graysons yet… or had he?

A sudden explosion on the television ripped me away from my thoughts. I looked up at the screen. A battle was going on in a war-torn city. One of the soldiers had a large gash on their forehead, and it was bleeding profusely.

"What are you watching?" I asked.

"A war movie," Edward said, "Based on a true story. It's pretty accurate, I must say."

"You weren't in any war," I said, not recalling Edward's involvement in any human wars in any of his stories.

"I still remember them," Edward said, still staring at the television.

"Edward?" I said, deciding I couldn't put this off any longer.

"Yes?" Edward asked.

"Do you know the Graysons?" I asked.

"What?" Edward asked, finally looking away from the television.

"The Graysons," I repeated, "Do you know them?"

"Of course not," Edward said, "You know that."

"Does your father know them?" I asked, "I mean… has he met them?"

"You heard what I told Charlie," Edward said, "Carlisle hasn't met them."

"Did you ask him?" I asked.

Edward sighed.

"I didn't think there is a reason to," he said, "Bella, why are you asking me this?"

"Something isn't right about them," I said.

"You haven't even met them, Bella," Edward said, "How could you possibly know?"

"Call it my sixth sense," I said.

Edward rolled his eyes.

"I thought at least you would believe in that," I said.

"I've met hundreds upon hundreds of people in my… existence," Edward said, "And I haven't met one who could change my mind about the possibility of a sixth sense. Not even in vampires."

"So you aren't worried about these Graysons?" I asked.

"I have no reason to worry about them," Edward said.

"You haven't even met them," I retorted, echoing his earlier response, "How could you possibly know?"

"All right," Edward said, "I know you aren't going to let me win this. So how about I make you a deal. I won't make any final presumptions until I've actually met the Graysons. When I meet them, I will read their minds, and I won't probably find a thing. Will that make you happy?"

I couldn't argue with that. I smiled and nodded.

"Good," he said, "Oh, before I forget. Alice wants you and Nessie to stay away from the house tomorrow afternoon."

"Why?" I asked.

"I'll give you three guesses," Edward said.

"Party planning," I said, through my teeth.

Edward smiled.

"If it makes you feel better," Edward said, "I could always read her mind and let you know what she's planning."

"Don't you think she'll think about that?" I asked.

"There are very few occasions," Edward said, "that Alice has kept me out of her head. None of them were when she was really happy. And you know Alice when it comes to parties. You can't take the smile off of her face."

"I don't know," I said, 'You know she will find out. She won't have a smile on her face then."

"I'll be… discreet," Edward said.

I smiled, then I kissed him, and he kissed me back. Though before I could enjoy the kiss, an explosion on the television broke us apart from our kiss.

"Do you have to watch this?" I asked, annoyed.

"I'm enjoying it," Edward said.

"I can probably think of something you'll enjoy more," I said, flirtatiously.

Edward grinned.

"You are so difficult to resist," he said, shaking his head and laughing.

"I know," I said, grinning.

Edward picked up the remote and turned off the television. He stood up and looked at me.

"Coming?" he asked, grinning.

"As you wish," I said, "Let's just try to keep quiet, eh? Nessie's asleep."

"I'll try my best," Edward said.

I grinned, then stood up. He took me by the hand and led me into our bedroom.

-----------------------------------------

Alice kicked me and Nessie out of the house at noon, so we retreated to the cottage. Nessie went to go play in her room. I didn't feel like doing anything, so I sat down on the couch and turned on the television. I flipped through the channels looking for something good. I stopped when I noticed the Seattle news was on.

"-- no word on how the mayor will celebrate his birthday," the news anchor said. "In more troubling news, there has been a number of reports of missing pets over the past week. Many of the animals, mostly dogs and cats, have gone missing in, and around, the towns of Beaver and Sappho, Washington."

I raised my eyebrows. Beaver and Sappho were located nearly an hour north of Forks.

"Because the two towns are so close to the Olympia Wildlife park," the news anchor continued, "The police believe that predators in the park were responsible. We interviewed a woman in Beaver whose family dog had gone missing. Here's Howie with more."

It switched to the reporter. He was standing in front of a house.

"Thank you, Diane," Howie said, "The family in the house behind me are very unhappy this afternoon. Their German shepherd, Spook, went missing sometime during the night. I spoke with the lady of the house who had this to say…"

It switched to a woman in her late twenties or early thirties. She looked very stressed. She had her arms around her two small boys.

"My boys are so upset," she said, a frown across her face, "Spook has been in the family since before my youngest son was born. We got him for my oldest son's third birthday. Spook is a big dog and he protects us, so I can't imagine that he was hurt by some animal. He was probably scared by something and he just ran off. If you see him, please notify the police. We would give a reward of some kind. We just want Spook back."

"Please," both of the young boys said, "Find Spook for us."

It switched back to the reporter.

"Heart-breaking," he said, "We also talked to a neighbor who says they thought they saw a large furry animal last night."

"Did they say what they thought it looked like?" the news anchor asked off-screen.

"Er… yes," the reporter said, "They said they only saw the outline of it, but it might have resembled a bear or something similar. Sort of reminds you of those reported attacks in the forests…"

The reporter continued, but a sudden thought in my head drowned it out. A large furry animal? A bear possibly. Or could it have been a…? I shook my head. No. No way. It couldn't have been. I looked back at the screen. It had switched back to the news anchor.

"It certainly does," she said.

She suddenly put two fingers to her ear.

"Yes?" she said, to no one in particular, "Oh my. Um, folks, we have some breaking news. A body has been discovered in Kalaloch."

I gasped. Kalaloch was south of Forks.

"Err… hold on," the news anchor said, "Folks, I urge you to get your kids to leave if they are in the room. This could frighten them."

She paused for a moment before she continued.

"Reports say," she said, "that the body's gender has yet to be decided because it was so mangled. They only recently could decide the time of death, and say that it was sometime last night. No word on exactly where the body was found. Um… this is indeed troubling news. My thoughts are out for the family of the individual and --."

I changed the channel. I didn't want to hear anymore. First, reports of missing pets and a possible large, furry animal seen in the vicinity. And now a mangled body found in Kalaloch. That town was only a little more than an hour away from here.

I picked up the telephone and called Charlie. He answered straight away.

"Hello?" he said.

"Dad," I said, "It's me, Bella."

"Bella," Charlie said, "How are you? What's wrong?"

"I… nothing," I said, "Have you been watching the news?"

I heard an audible sigh at his end.

"Yes," he said, "I have."

"So you heard about the missing pets," I said, "And now…"

"The discovery in Kalaloch," Charlie interrupted, "Yes, Bella. Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Well, the report," I said. "It said that a large, furry animal was seen in the vicinity. You don't think that would mean...?"

I trailed off, but Charlie knew what I was talking about.

"I don't know," Charlie said, "I could see what Billy has to say."

"No," I said quickly, "I want to talk to Jacob about this."

"Be careful," Charlie warned.

"Dad," I said, annoyed, "He's my best friend."

"He is also a werewolf!" Charlie exclaimed.

I sighed. I could tell Charlie still hadn't gotten over finding out about Jacob's little secret.

"Look, Charlie," I said, "I need to go."

"Bella," Charlie said, quickly, "Bella --!"

I hung up the phone. I couldn't tell my dad that Jacob and the rest of his pack weren't actually werewolves, but shape-shifters who had chosen to become wolves. I told myself it probably wasn't on the "need to know" list, but it was one of those things that he didn't need to know right now.

Nessie walked over to me and put her hand on my cheek. I knew she was worried about me.

"I'm fine, sweetheart," I said, giving her a reassuring smile. "Hey... do you want to visit Jacob again?"

Nessie nodded happily.

------------------------------------------

I didn't bother telling Edward or anyone else that I was going to La Push. It would have caused questions that I didn't want to answer at the moment. I had to know the truth. I had to know if Jacob was involved in the stuff I had heard on the news. I took one of Edward's cars, and strapped Nessie into the backseat.

A half-an-hour later, I arrived at Jacob's house. I honked on the horn, and stepped out of the car. A few moments later, the door opened, and Billy rolled out onto the porch in his wheelchair.

"Hey, Bella!" Billy said, "Jacob isn't here at the moment."

I tried my best to keep my face clean of any expression.

"Did you need something?" Billy asked.

"I really need to talk to him," I said, "Do you know when he'll be back."

"He said he was going to meet with the pack," Billy said, "He should be back before too long. Do you want to come inside?"

"I don't know," I said, "I got Nessie with me."

"Come on," Billy said, "I'd love to see Nessie. Besides, I haven't talked to you in a long time. We could catch up on current events."

I nodded and decided there wasn't anything wrong with that.

"Come on, Nessie," I said, "We'll wait for Jacob."

Nessie got out of the car, and we headed into the house. Billy was sitting in the living room. The moment Nessie and I walked in, Billy turned off the television. But before he could, I could see that he was watching the news.

"Would you like anything?" Billy asked.

"No," I said, politely, sitting down with Nessie on the couch.

"All right," Billy said, "Hi, Nessie! How are you?"

Nessie only smiled at him.

"She's still shy?" Billy asked.

I nodded.

"That's all right," Billy said, "So how have you been? How is life in New Hampshire?"

"Similar to life in Forks, I suppose," I said.

"That sounds… boring, to be honest," Billy said, laughing.

"At least it isn't anything I have to get used to," I admitted, "Billy, have Jacob and his friends seemed… different lately. I mean… more than usual?"

"I don't think so," Billy said, surprised at the question, "Why?"

"Something I heard on the news," I said.

"Oh," Billy said, and I knew he saw right through me, "You heard about that too?"

"Er… yeah," I said.

"Jacob was in La Push all night, Bella," Billy said, roughly, "You can tell your father that too."

I cringed at how frightening his voice had gotten.

"And… err… his pack?" I asked.

"They would do nothing without Jacob," Billy said, "Jacob's the Alpha now."

"Yeah, he told me about that," I said, "Why did Sam and Emily leave?"

"What did Jacob say about it?" Billy asked.

"He told me he didn't know," I said.

Billy sighed.

"You know, don't you?" I asked.

"Ever since Jacob's pack learned about her," Billy said, nodding to Nessie, "Most of them became more friendly with the Cullens. Maybe they see Nessie's potential. Maybe they know how much Jacob likes her. Anyway, Sam didn't approve, and when he realized he couldn't make the pack ignore the Cullens, he abandoned them. He moved to Wyoming with Emily a few months ago."

I frowned at how Billy talked about the Cullens. He only mentioned them by name. He didn't say "your family" or something similar.

"Are you friends with them?" I asked, "My… err… extended family, I mean."

Billy shrugged.

"I don't know," he said, "I don't hate them if that is what you mean."

Before I could say anymore, I heard the front door open. I turned around. Jacob and Seth walked into the house. Both were half-naked.

"Yeah, Leah couldn't find Louis anywhere yesterday," Seth was saying, "It was like he disappeared or something. It was weird, because apparently he promised he'd go out with Leah last night. Leah was --"

"Jakey!" Nessie squealed.

Jacob and Seth looked at us. I could tell they were surprised Nessie and I were here. Nessie got up and ran over to Jacob and hugged him.

"Nessie!" Seth said, "Bella!"

"I thought that was Edward's car!" Jacob said, "What brings you here, Bella?"

"Nessie wanted to see you," I said, half-lying.

"Is that all?" Jacob asked, looking from me, to Billy, then back to me.

I looked at Billy, who raised his eyebrows. I sighed and looked at Jacob.

"Have you… err… been watching the news?" I asked, cautiously.

"Not recently," Jacob said, an eyebrow raised, "Anything interesting?"

I hesitated, but knew I had to tell the truth.

"Over the past week," I said, "A number of pets have gone missing in towns near here. Then last night, in Kalaloch, a person was brutally murdered. Mangled, really. In the town of Beaver, a dog went missing, and someone thought they saw a giant animal. It sounded as if they thought it was a bear or something, though they could only see it in the shadows."

"What are you implying, Bella?" Jacob asked.

"N-nothing," I said, quickly.

"No," Jacob said, "You wouldn't be here if you didn't think --"

"I didn't think anything, Jacob!" I lied.

"Really?" Seth asked, "Because it sounds like --"

"Shut up, Seth," Jacob growled.

"Jacob," I said, in a pleaded tone, "Tell me the truth. Where were you last night?"

"Not in Kalaloch, if that is what you mean," Jacob scoffed.

"What were you saying about Leah, Seth?" I asked.

Seth looked at Jacob, who nodded.

"We had another bonfire last night," Seth said, looking back at me, "Leah wanted Louis to come again, but he didn't show up."

"So you were at a bonfire all night?" I asked.

"Yes," Jacob said, "We didn't do any hunting, if you want to know. There were plenty of witnesses too."

I sighed, relieved. I had to believe him.

"Well, if it wasn't you," I said, "What do you suppose it was that attacked those pets and the --?"

"A bear?" Seth suggested, before I could finish, "I mean, come on, Bella. Do you think all of the stories of bear attacks are actually us?"

"I guess not," I muttered, "Sorry…"

"If you need any more assurance, Bells," Jacob said, "My pack hasn't attacked a single human since you left Forks. I promise."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes," Jacob said, "My pack is a lot different now I am in charge. To be honest, we are afraid of the Volturi. We don't want them to return because they think your family broke the treaty."

"Wow," I said.

"Great," Seth muttered, "The bloodsuckers now know we're afraid of some of their kind."

"Seth," Jacob growled, "Go home."

"What?" Seth asked, confused, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say --"

"Seth," Jacob ordered, "Go. Home."

"Bye Bella," Seth muttered in defeat, "See you later, little Ness."

Seth turned and walked out of the room.

"I guess you're going to leave again now that you have your answer?" Jacob asked.

I sighed and looked at Nessie. She looked so happy now that she was with Jacob again. I didn't want to make her unhappy.

"Well," I said, "I guess we can stay for a little while."

I did want to go back to Forks, but I decided it could wait. I just wanted to tell Charlie that it wasn't Jacob or his pack. I called the house again, but Charlie wasn't there. I figured he must have gone to the police station. I made a mental note to go straight there when we were done here.

-----------------------------------------

**Chapter finished! **

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	4. The Graysons

**Chapter 4**

**The Graysons**

Nessie and I left Jacob's house a couple of hours later. While we were there, I kept trying to find reasons why I needed to leave. But I could tell Nessie was having fun, and I didn't want to upset her. Knowing it would only anger Jacob more, I didn't say anything more about the missing pets, or the murder in Kalaloch. As I thought more and more about the news I had heard, I was sure it was a murder.

From the sound of it, I didn't think a bear could do that much damage, especially when the victim was dead. Bears were known to attack humans, but only because they were protecting their young. Once the threat was over, the bear would leave. They wouldn't keep up their attack especially if the threat was dead.

As I put more thought into it, I was sure that the victim wasn't killed by any normal animal. But if it wasn't a wild animal, and if it wasn't Jacob's pack, then what was it? Two hours later, I still hadn't answered my own question. But I still decided I needed to talk to Charlie.

That was when Nessie and I left. I made up an excuse, saying that Edward was probably wondering where Nessie and I were. I did need to talk to Edward about this, but first I wanted to talk to Charlie. He had to know that Jacob and his friends weren't responsible for the murder in Kalaloch.

We arrived back in Forks about thirty minutes later. I was thankful it was a cloudy day, otherwise I would have gone straight home. I drove to the police station, knowing that was probably where Charlie was. When I recognized his car in the parking lot, I knew I was right. I parked the car near his.

"Mommy?" Ness said, "I thought we were going back to see Daddy."

"We will, Nessie," I said, "I just need to talk to Grampa first, okay?"

Nessie nodded.

"Okay," I said, "Come on!"

Nessie and I walked into the police station. Mr. Dayton, an old family friend, and one of the Forks police officers, was sitting at the front desk.

"Isabella!" Mr. Dayton exclaimed, jumping up from his seat, "Charlie told me you were in town!"

"Hi, Mr. Dayton," I said, "Do you know where my father is?"

"He is in his office," Mr. Dayton said, "He's speaking to someone, but I don't think he'll mind if you intrude."

"Thanks," I said.

I took Nessie's hand and walked toward my father's office. I knocked on the door, then opened it, and we walked in. Charlie was at his desk, but he wasn't the only one in the room. A man in his late-thirties or early forties was sitting in the chair at the desk. He had long black hair that went down to the middle of his back. I noticed a few grey spots here and there in it. I also noticed that he had a long beard that matched his hair.

"Bella!" Charlie said, standing up, "Hi! I was actually talking about you. Isabella, this is Mr. Lyle Grayson."

If my heart could beat, it would have skipped a few of them. Mr. Grayson stood up and turned around. When I looked at his face, I realized he had a couple of scars down the sides of his cheeks. He also had dark brown eyes that almost looked black. He looked like a very stressed man, and I was surprised at how tan his skin was. Most of the people in Forks were more pale than the usual human.

"It's nice to meet you, Isabella," Mr. Grayson said, a booming tone echoing in his voice. I could also sense a European accent in his voice, "Charlie has told me a lot about you. He is very proud of you, it sounds like."

Nessie backed away and hid behind me. Mr. Grayson got closer.

"What a beautiful daughter you have, Miss Swan," he said, looking down at Nessie.

"It's Mrs. Cullen, actually," I said.

I put my hands behind me, and Nessie took them. A wave of her emotions ran through me, and I could tell she was very frightened of Mr. Grayson.

"I do apologize," Mr. Grayson said, "Charlie hadn't told me that you're married. Forgive me, you just look… a little younger than I had in mind."

I couldn't find my voice anymore. It was like it refused to show itself in the current situation. I looked from Mr. Grayson to my father.

"Mr. Grayson," Charlie said, clearing his throat, "I believe you came here to fill out a report?"

"Oh, yes," Mr. Grayson said, "I almost forgot. Thank you Chief Swan."

As he said this, he never took his eyes off of me and my daughter.

"It seems I am a magnet for trouble, Bella," Mr. Grayson said, a throaty laugh escaping his lips, "My family and I are… refugees, I guess you could say… of the country we were in. I was… erm… falsely accused of some crimes in my country, and I chose to move with my family."

"Forks, Washington seems like a weird choice for a first pick, Mr. Grayson," I said, when I found my voice again, "I'm sure my father would disagree, but it is sort of a boring place. Not a good impression for new citizens to the United States."

"Ah, yes," Mr. Grayson said, "Well, where my family and I lived, the town was similar to this. It was a small town where everyone knew everyone else. Where if a boy fell down a well, everyone would know it in less than an hour. You get what I'm saying? The weather is kind of dreary, I must say. But I can get used to it, I think."

"You say you're having some trouble?" I asked.

"Oh, it's not too much to worry about," Mr. Grayson said, "My dog's gone missing and I can't find him anywhere. I have six children and they love the dog dearly, so it is my personal mission to find him."

Six children! Well, assuming Lyle had a wife, then the Graysons were indeed a bigger family than the Cullens.

"I'm not doing so well, sad to say," Mr. Grayson said, "So I hoped to enlist the help of your father and his officers."

"Well, Mr. Grayson," Charlie said, "If you talk to Mr. Dayton up front, I'm sure he will help you. I would assist you, but I have a feeling my daughter needs to talk to me. Is that right, Bella?"

I nodded.

"Very well," Mr. Grayson said, "Thank you, Charlie. Mrs. Cullen, it was very nice to meet you. I hope this isn't the last time I get to talk to you and your… beautiful daughter."

Another wave of frightened emotions were sent from my daughter to me.

"Adieu," Mr. Grayson said.

He walked over to the door and I followed him with my gaze. He then turned around.

"Oh, before I forget," he said, "I'm having a party tonight. It's just a small thing. Kind of a get-to-know-you party. My wife planned it. I know she wants to try to make some new friends for her book meetings, but I also have a feeling she hopes this could increase our chances of getting our dog back. I would be most pleased, Chief Swan, if you would come. Bella, her daughter and her husband could come as well. I would love to meet the man who stole your daughter's heart, and I bet my children would love to meet this beautiful girl. You know my address, I think, Chief Swan?"

I didn't know if my father could hear it, but I thought I had distinctly heard some emphasis in Mr. Grayson's voice when he talked about my husband. That phrase he used… "stole your daughter's heart." Before a year ago, I probably wouldn't have thought too much about it. But, being the slightly paranoid person I am, it affected me a little bit more than it should have. Because, as a vampire, stealing my heart was basically what Edward had done. However romantic it sounded to me, it put a bit of emphasis into my whole existence. Could Mr. Grayson possibly know what I was, or was I just being my usual paranoid self?

"Yes, Lyle," Charlie said, "I'll see what I can do."

"Wonderful!" Mr. Grayson said, "The party is at seven-o-clock."

Charlie nodded. Mr. Grayson bowed slightly to Charlie, then to me and Nessie. He then left the office. Nessie immediately calmed down. She walked over to Charlie and hugged him, then sat down in one of the empty seats. I sat next to her.

"I'm sorry, Bella," Charlie said, "I know that was kind of awkward."

"No, it's fine," I said, my mind still on Mr. Grayson.

"What do you think of Lyle?" Charlie asked.

"Interesting gentleman," I said, simply.

"I have a feeling Lyle is going to be a great addition to Forks," Charlie said.

"What does he do?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"I believe he is an antique collector," Charlie said, "I think his intentions are to buy a shop here in Forks and turn it into a small museum. He is a very wealthy man, from what I hear."

Yet another similarity to the Cullens.

"So, Bella," Charlie said, clapping his hands together, "I assume you didn't come here just to say hello, did you?"

"No," I said.

"I'm guessing you went to La Push?" Charlie asked.

By La Push, I knew he meant that I went to Jacob's place.

"Yes," I said.

"Did you learn anything?" Charlie asked.

"Jacob and his pack," I said, and I could see Charlie tensing up, "were definitely not responsible for what happened in Kalaloch."

Charlie didn't say anything.

"They have an alibi," I said, using the police terms, "They were at a bonfire last night."

"Mmhmm," Charlie said, "I'm assuming Jacob told you this?"

"Er… yeah, of course," I said.

"And you believe him?" Charlie asked.

"Of course, Charlie," I said, nodding, "Jacob wouldn't lie to me."

"Oh, really?" Charlie retorted, "Remind me. How long did you know Jacob before you knew… what he was?"

"Dad," I said, sighing, "Jacob isn't what you think he is."

"He is exactly what I think he is," Charlie said, his voice getting louder, "Because, if you recall, he showed -- he told me what he was. Please answer my question."

"Jacob wasn't always a -- err -- what he is," I said, cautiously, "It's been in his blood, of course. But it didn't affect him until only some months before he told you. He never had a reason to lie to me. In fact, he let me figure it out for myself, but only because he was ordered not to tell me. And then, of course, I realized later that even I was wrong in my discovery."

"Then he did lie to you," Charlie said, "So how do you know he isn't lying to you now?"

"Billy knows that Jacob was in La Push all night, as well, Dad," I said, hoping Charlie would finally believe me now that I mentioned his friend's name.

"Billy knows a lot of things," Charlie said.

"Dad," I said, "Billy's your friend. You can believe him, right?"

"Billy's lied to me many times as well, Bella," Charlie said.

I groaned.

"This is ridiculous," I said, "You have no reason to feel this way about Jacob and his friends, Dad."

"Doesn't it seem weird, Bella," Charlie asked, leaning into me, "how the description of that body in Kalaloch sounds? They are saying that it is similar to the attacks that happened in the forests around here. And you know as well as I do who was responsible for those incidents, right?"

I fidgeted around in my seat. I felt very uncomfortable at the moment, and it had nothing to do with the chair.

"Dad --" I began.

"Bella," Charlie interrupted me, "You can't expect me to believe a story until I get all the proof. I am a police officer, and I am Sheriff. I go by what the evidence tells me, and the evidence, at the moment, leads to one thing."

"You don't know the whole story, though!" I said, defensively, "Dad, the body was found in Kalaloch. You don't have connections there, do you?"

"No," Charlie said, "But--"

"So how would you know where the evidence leads?" I asked.

"It's a joint investigation, Bella," Charlie said, "Police from Seattle have joined up with police in Kalaloch, and they are sending officers here as well. They are fully aware of the incidents that happened here."

"Dad," I said, "You aren't going to tell them about Jacob and his pack?"

"Bella," Charlie said, sighing deeply, "If it comes down to it, I'm going to have to."

"People will get hurt, Dad!" I said, in a worried tone. "Please, Charlie. Don't tell them."

"People have already gotten hurt," Charlie said.

"Exactly," I said, "The citizens of Forks and La Push don't need any more blood on their hands."

"Bella, I'm sorry," Charlie said.

I groaned.

"Come, Nessie," I said, in a half-disgusted, forceful tone, "We're leaving."

"Are you going to go to Mr. Grayson's party?" Charlie asked, as I stood up.

Ugh. How could Charlie think of parties right now?

"Lyle would be happy if you went," he continued, "I might go too."

"I'll… think about it, Dad," I said.

Though, at the moment, I had no intention to go to any party.

"Here's the address, Bella," Charlie said.

He jotted down something on a Post-It slip and handed it to me.

"Thanks," I said, grudgingly, stuffing the small piece of paper in my pocket, "Come, Nessie. Say bye to Grampa. We're leaving."

"Bye, Grampa," Nessie said, waving to Charlie.

"I'll see you later, sweetheart," Charlie said.

I led Nessie out of the office. As I went to the front of the station, I noticed that Mr. Grayson wasn't there. I figured he must have left, and didn't think of it any further. Nessie, nor I, didn't say anything until we got in the car.

"Are we going to that party later, Mommy?" Nessie asked, as I got in the driver's seat.

"I don't know," I said, looking at Nessie in the rear-view mirror, "I'll think about it."

"We're going to see Daddy now?" Nessie asked.

"Yeah," I said, starting the car, and the ignition roared in response, "We're going to see Daddy now."

------------------------------------------

I drove the car a little faster than I should have, especially with a child in the car. But I wasn't exactly paying attention to that. I was still disgusted at my father's response to the whole situation. If he was smart, he would have stopped this from going too far. Now, whoever was responsible for the incidents, if it was human or (I winced at the thought) immortal, they would definitely realize that there was an investigation. While there was a chance it would scare the perpetrators out of the area, or out of the state, there was also a chance they would react harshly and that it would just get worse.

We arrived back at the house pretty quickly. Edward was working on one of his cars, but as soon as we pulled into the driveway, he stood up with inhuman speed. I frowned and just waved at him, as I stopped the car. Nessie got out of the car quickly, and hugged him.

"Where were you at, Nessie?" Edward asked our daughter, as I stepped out of the car.

"We went to see Jakey and Grampa," Nessie said, grinning, "And we made a new friend."

"A new friend?" Edward asked, looking at me, "Really?"

"He invited us to a party, Daddy!" Nessie said, "Can we go? Please?"

"Let me talk to your mother about that," Edward said. "Tell you what. Go see Grandma Esme. I bet she will make you some lunch! Eh?"

Nessie nodded and ran into the house.

"Looks like you've been busy, Bella," Edward said, "Would you like to talk about it?"

I sighed, stalling for a moment. Should I tell Edward the truth? Or just a little bit of it?

"Does this," Edward said, "have anything to do with the reports on the news?"

Drat! I should have known he would have seen that. I nodded.

"I had to make sure it wasn't Jacob or his pack," Jacob said.

"And?" Edward asked, "Was it?"

"I… don't think so," I said, slowly.

"You don't sound so sure about that," Edward said.

"Well," I said, "Jacob says that he and the pack were at a bonfire last night. Seth says that too. But --"

"Jacob is Seth's Alpha, Bella," Edward said, "Seth would go with whatever Jacob said."

"But Billy also said Jacob was in La Push all night," I said.

"Billy is Jacob's father," Edward said, "Of course he would lie for him if it meant that he was keeping Jacob out of trouble."

"Come on, Edward!" I sighed, "Can't you even open your mind up a bit?"

"I find that hard," Edward said, "especially with my ability. So I assume you went to your father about this as well?"

I nodded.

"What did he have to say?" Edward asked.

"He thinks Jacob or his pack did it," I said, "But only because he can't get past the fact that Jacob is what he is. My father is going too far in this, Edward! He told me that there will be a joint investigation, and Seattle and Kalaloch police are coming here. They believe the Kalaloch murder and the incidents in the forests around here are connected."

"Maybe they are," Edward said.

"I don't think they are," I said, "There has to be another explanation."

"Like what?" Edward asked, "What could it be? More --"

He paused and didn't continue.

"More what, Edward?" I asked.

"Never mind," Edward said, quickly, "So who is this 'new friend' of Nessie's?"

I narrowed my eyes. I hated that he had changed the subject.

"When Nessie and I went to talk to my father," I said, "We met Lyle Grayson."

Edward's eyes went wide.

"I'm surprised Nessie calls him her friend," I said, "You should have seen how frightened she was, Edward. Her fear went right into me."

"Then why does she call him her friend?" Edward asked, eyebrows raised.

"Apparently Lyle Grayson," I said, "is having a 'get-to-know-you' party for the town. Well, you know how much Nessie likes parties. She really wants to go."

Edward sighed deeply.

"Lyle Grayson wants to meet you," I added.

"Why?" Edward asked, looking into my eyes.

"Apparently," I said, "He wants to meet the man who stole the sheriff's daughter's heart."

"I guess I can't refuse then," Edward said, "When is the party? Where?"

"At seven tonight," I said, slowly, "He gave me the address. Why? You want to go to the party?"

"I'm just curious," Edward said.

"You think there is something fishy about Lyle?" I asked.

"No," Edward said, "Do you?"

I shrugged.

"Then we should go," Edward said, "I could read his mind, and see if there is any… reason not to trust him in there. If there isn't, then that's fine."

"And if there is?" I asked.

He didn't answer for a moment. I knew he was trying to figure out how to answer that question.

"Then we'll look into it," Edward said, "Or we'll tell your father about it. He's going to be there, right?"

"He was invited," I said, unsure if he would go or not, "So we're going?"

"Does Grayson have kids?" Edward asked.

"Six of them," I said.

"Six?!" Edward asked, in a shocked tone, "Hmm. The more the merrier, I guess. Nessie needs some friends, though. And she sounds like she really wants to go."

"Are you sure?" I asked, "I mean --"

"Nessie will be fine," Edward assured me, "Besides… Alice is still preparing for the party. We have to keep out of the house tonight anyway. What better way to spend the night then go to another party?"

I shrugged, and nodded. This was definitely going to be interesting.

-----------------------------------------------------

I didn't know if this would be a formal party or not, so I decided to wear something that was half-and-half. As I was changing, I realized I hadn't read the Post-It note my father had given me yet. I dug into the pocket of my jeans and took out the tiny slip of paper. I read it, and could barely read my father's hand writing:

La Push Road. Look for a large house.

I sighed. What kind of instructions were these? La Push Road was a long stretch of almost nothing that went in between Forks and La Push. I had driven down that road plenty of times and had never seen a large house. Was this some kind of a joke? Perhaps my father didn't want me to go, and this was just his way of telling me…

"Something wrong, dear?" Edward asked.

"No," I said quickly, trying to hide the Post-It note.

"Honey," Edward said, "You're standing half-naked in our bedroom and reading a Post-It note."

"What note?" I asked.

I am so lousy at lying. He walked over to me, and took the tiny piece of paper away from me, then read it. He looked at me, and I shrugged.

"Large house on La Push road," he said.

"My damn father and his worthless instructions," I muttered.

"Shouldn't be too hard to find," Edward said, "There aren't that many large houses on that road. We just look for the one that screams 'Oi! There's a party here!' Eh?"

I laughed. I had to hand it to him. He could be funny when I was not.

"So are you going to the party like that?" Edward asked me, staring at my half-naked body.

"In your daydreams!" I scowled.

"Not even close," Edward shrugged, "In my daydreams you're --"

"Don't even finish that sentence!" I interrupted.

He laughed out loud. I narrowed my eyes at him and walked into the large closet.

------------------------------------------------

Edward decided that we should leave pretty early, since we might have to search for the house. So Nessie, Edward and I piled into our car and started down the road.

I turned and looked at Nessie. She was wearing one of the two half-formal party dresses Alice had bought for her. This one was pink and frilly. I didn't know if I wanted to thank Alice… or hit her. It was just like Alice Cullen to turn my baby girl into a party queen.

I was wearing a black, full-bodied blouse and heels. I figured it went with my personality. Edward was wearing what my father sometimes referred to as "a poor man's tuxedo": black pants and a white shirt and tie. I thought he looked quite sophisticated.

It didn't take as long as I expected to find the Grayson's house, and I didn't know why I was so worried. Lyle Grayson had not wasted any energy to flaunt the fact that he had money. The house looked like an old-fashioned mansion, and I knew why I hadn't seen it before while going down La Push road. It was half-hidden behind a bunch of trees, and, in a way, only visible when you were looking for it. It looked like every window in the house was on, and there were more than a dozen cars in the driveway. I privately wondered how many of these were the Graysons' cars and how many were guests. As we parked in the long driveway, I noticed the familiar white car with police lights on the top, and the Sheriff logo on the side. My father was already here.

"Impressive," I heard Edward mutter as we stepped out of the car.

We walked up to the front of the house. The double-doors were already open.

"And I half-expected someone here to take our coats," I muttered.

"Be nice, dear," Edward said.

"Mrs. Cullen!" I heard a half-familiar voice speak up.

Lyle Grayson walked up to us.

"I see you brought your lovely daughter again," he said, "And this must be your husband."

"I'm Edward," Edward introduced himself stiffly.

Lyle held out his hand, and Edward paused then shook it. I noticed a bit of worry on Edward's face, but I didn't know what it was.

"Ooh!" Lyle said, "Must be cold out there. Your hands are chilly. Come in and warm yourselves up a trite."

"Lovely house you have here," I said.

"Thank you, dear," Lyle said, "Make yourselves at home!"

As we followed him into the living room, Lyle continued.

"My wife is in the kitchen preparing the food," he said, "My children are around here somewhere. Well, most of them anyway. My oldest son should be here soon. He's just picking up his new girlfriend. I must say that I was surprised to hear Lyle had found someone so soon. He's barely sixteen, but he seems to be in love. I must really talk to the boy, you know. He should be careful about these things, eh?"

"Yeah," I said, with a small laugh.

I looked at Edward. He had a stony expression on his face.

"What's the matter?" I whispered to him.

"I'll tell you later," he said to me.

"I could have picked a more beautiful night for a party, though," Lyle said, "Cloudy and it looks like rain could be coming our way. Ah well. It's what you have to expect here, I guess."

"Yeah," Edward said, "I guess so."

"Here she is!" Lyle said, "Patty! Come here. I want to introduce you to someone."

I then noticed Lyle's wife. I half-expected Patty to be quite beautiful and elegant, but I was pleasantly surprised. She looked pretty average-looking for a human. As she got closer, I noticed a small scar on her forehead that could have been mistaken by any normal human for worry lines.

"Patty," Lyle said, "This is Edward and Bella Cullen. And their daughter…"

"Renesmee," I said, "Or Nessie, as most people call her."

"Beautiful name for a beautiful girl," Patty said, her voice soft and sweet, "Nessie, we have a little girl about your age around here somewhere. She is just as sweet and lovely as you. Her name is Krystal. If your parents are okay with it, we can go and find her."

"Be on your best behavior, Nessie," I said, looking at my daughter.

She nodded, and I knew that she what I meant.

"Go on and have fun," Edward said to her.

"Wonderful!" Patty said.

"Bella, Edward, there you are!" I heard Charlie's voice say.

"Hi, Dad," I said.

"Chief Swan," Edward said, nodding.

"You could have given me better instructions, Charlie," I half-scolded him.

"You found the place, didn't you?" Charlie said, grinning.

"Barely," I muttered.

Edward laughed. As Edward and I sat on the large, white-leather couch, I looked around to see if I recognized anyone. Sue Clearwater was talking to Mrs. Mason. I cringed at a thought. I wished I had worn more make-up. What if my friends had come? Would they realize I looked different?

"Bella?" Edward asked, "Something wrong?"

"I'm beginning to think this was a bit of a bad idea," I whispered, "What if my friends come?"

"Don't worry about it," Edward said, taking my closest hand in his.

Before I could say that I was truly worried, Lyle spoke up.

"Louis!" he exclaimed, "There you are. Finally!"

I looked up at the entrance of the large living room. Lyle's oldest son looked just like his father, but I wasn't looking at him. His guest grabbed my attention more than he did: it was Leah Clearwater. Her imprint was Lyle Grayson's oldest son.

Beside me, I heard a low growl come from Edward.

"Edward," I hissed, "Stop."

"Did you know?" Edward asked.

"I knew Leah had an imprint," I said, "I didn't know it was the Grayson's kid."

Edward sighed.

"Damn it," he said.

"Edward?" I asked, "What's wrong?"

"Not now," he said through his teeth, and I noticed he was staring at Louis.

"When, then?" I asked.

"After the party," Edward said, "I don't want to cause a stir."

My eyebrows narrowed, then raised. Had Edward found something bad when he searched through Lyle Grayson's mind?

Suddenly, I heard a small squeal. I recognized it as my daughter's, and I got kind of tense. I noticed Nessie running, and I almost screamed her name, when I realized she was laughing. She was being chased by a black-haired girl around her age, and a little boy that was probably six or seven years old. Both looked so similar to their parents, that it was kind of eerie.

"Looks like Nessie's found some new friends," Charlie said, laughing.

I sighed in relief.

"I'll be right back," I said, standing up, "It's getting hot in here."

"Bella?" Charlie asked me, "Are you okay?"

"Fine," I said.

"It's just a little too stuffy for her, I think," Edward said, "She just needs some air. I'll go with her."

Edward stood up and I walked with him outside.

"Are you okay, Bella?" Edward asked.

"I don't know," I said.

I put my arms around him, and put my head up against his chest.

"I almost over-reacted in there," I said, "I thought Nessie was in trouble."

"She's just excited," Edward said, "She's never been around kids her age. Given her situation, that isn't much of a surprise. It's nice to see her have a little fun."

"Yeah," I said, "It is."

"I'd just hate to tell her that it won't last very long," Edward said.

I let go of him and backed away.

"What do you mean?" I asked, surprised that Edward would say this.

"It's… nothing," Edward said, avoiding my eyesight.

"Edward," I said, "Tell me what's wrong. Now."

Edward didn't answer and I realized what was going on.

"What did you see in Lyle Grayson's mind?" I asked him.

"Nothing," Edward said.

"Nothing?" I replied, relieved, "So he's fine?"

"You don't understand, Bella," Edward said.

My eyebrows narrowed. Edward looked really worried and it was starting to worry me too. He took my hands in his and I could tell he was actually shaking.

"I didn't see anything in Lyle Grayson's mind," he whispered. "I couldn't even get into it!"

-------------------------------------------

**Dun-dun-dun! Cliffhanger!**

**So what's going on, eh? Did you guys see that coming? More to come soon!**

**Feedback would be great!**


	5. Bedtime Stories

**Chapter 5  
Bedtime Stories**

Edward made an excuse for us to leave, while I searched for Nessie. It was kind of a frantic search, but I found her playing with the Graysons' two youngest kids. I looked at the kids for a moment. Were the children the same as their father… whatever he was? Because, at that moment, I didn't know what Lyle Grayson was. I only knew he wasn't exactly human. If he was human, Edward would have been able to penetrate his mind. Instead, he had hit a brick wall.

Before Edward, Nessie and I could make a bee-line for the front door, Charlie and Lyle found us. Edward stared at Lyle. A small frown ran across his lips.

"Leaving so soon?" Lyle asked.

"Bella's got a bug or something," Edward said, "Must be the cold air. I'm sorry, Mr. Grayson. It looks like a great party."

"Sometimes these things are unavoidable," Lyle said.

"Bella?" Charlie asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'll talk to you later, Dad," I said, "You stay and have fun."

"Nessie could stay, Bella," Charlie offered, "And I can drop her off after the party."

"Yeah, Mommy!" Nessie said, "Please?"

I looked at Edward. He shook his head. I nodded and knelt beside Nessie.

"Nessie," I said, "Have you forgotten? We got our own party tomorrow. Don't you want to be rested up? It's going to be a long day!"

Nessie sighed and looked from me to Charlie.

"Your Mommy is right, Nessie," Charlie said, "I'll see you again tomorrow at your party. Okay?"

Nessie nodded.

"It was really nice to meet you," Lyle said, "Don't be a stranger now that you know where we live."

Edward nodded and nudged me and Nessie out of the house.

"Will Charlie be okay?" I asked Edward, as we walked toward the car.

"He can take care of himself," Edward said.

"Are you going to tell Carlisle?" I asked, "About this, I mean?"

"I intend to as soon as we get home," Edward said.

"What do you think the Graysons are?" I asked, "Vampires?"

"I can read most Vampires minds," Edward said, "Besides… if Lyle was a vampire, he would avoid the daylight."

"Shape-shifters?" I asked.

"I can read their minds too," Edward said, "Don't worry. Carlisle will know."

As I got into the passenger seat of the car, I told myself that I wanted to find out what the Graysons were for myself. There was only one way to do that… but at the moment there were more pressing issues on my mind.

"Those children," I said, "They look so… innocent. Care-free. Whatever Lyle is… are they --?"

"I can't exactly say at the moment," Edward said, "Carlisle will know."

"Can you guess what they are?" I asked.

"I have my thoughts," Edward said, "If I'm right… well… I hope I'm not for the Graysons sake."

"I don't want any riddles, Edward!" I said, my voice loud, "What are they?"

"Carlisle can explain better," Edward said, "Please… don't ask me anymore."

I sighed and nodded, though I was still mad. I wanted to know what Lyle was. I wanted to know if all of the Graysons were affected. Those poor children. If they were anything like I imagined… well, I couldn't imagine it.

A little more than half-an-hour later, we arrived back at the house. We got out of the car and walked into the house.

"Nessie," I said, "Why don't you go play or watch TV? The grown-ups need to talk, okay?"

Nessie nodded and walked out of the entrance room.

"Dad?" Edward called out, "Carlisle? Are you here?"

"Yes!" Carlisle said, and he appeared at the top of the stairs, "What is it? Why are you back from the party so early."

"Something happened," Edward said.

"What?" Carlisle asked, and he rushed to the bottom of the stairs, "Is anyone hurt? Nessie --"

"We're fine, Dad," Edward said, "Nobody got hurt."

"Then what's wrong?" Carlisle asked.

"I don't know," Edward said, "I'm confused. I… couldn't read Lyle Grayson's mind. There aren't many in this world that can block my ability."

"You're right," Carlisle said.

"I'm confused," I said, looking from Edward to Carlisle.

"Bella," Carlisle said, "You aren't the only creature in this world who can block Edward's ability. The only other possibly explanation I have is that the Lyle Grayson is a werewolf."

My jaw dropped. A werewolf?

"I don't understand, Dad," Edward said, "Didn't Marcus say he killed the last of them?"

"He was wrong, apparently," Carlisle said.

I tried to speak up, but Carlisle interrupted me.

"How many people are in Grayson's family?" Carlisle asked.

"Eight," Edward said, "Lyle, his wife, and his six children."

"Did you read his wife's mind?" Carlisle asked.

"I didn't even try," Edward said, "I don't know why. I'm sorry. But I did try his oldest boy. I couldn't get a thing."

"Wait," I said, both of my hands raised in a stopping motion, "Wait just a minute. Werewolves? Like… real, genuine werewolves? Like the creatures from the stories."

"No, Bella," Edward said, "Not like the creatures from the stories."

"I don't understand," I said, confused.

"The stories humans tell about werewolves," Carlisle said, "Are just that… stories. They make up these stories to scare people. They use them for campfires or bedtime stories. The werewolves they talk about don't exist. Real, genuine werewolves are different. Much different, Bella. No human knows about the real werewolves because most humans who cross them aren't able to talk about them."

"Why?" I asked.

Edward and Carlisle stared at me.

"They killed them?" I asked, my eyes wide.

Carlisle nodded grimly.

"So tell me about the werewolves," I said.

"I know very little about real werewolves," Carlisle said, "But I know enough. Werewolves aren't just vulnerable to the full moon. They transform under any moonlight."

"That would explain a lot," I said, "The Graysons are rarely seen outside during the night. And I did think it was strange for Lyle and his family to move here. But now it definitely explains it. All this cloud cover would block the moon most of the time.

Carlisle nodded.

"How big do they get?" I asked.

"Nearly twice their human size," Edward said.

"Actually about one-and-a-half times," Carlisle said, "Still they tower over any normal human."

"And vampire," Edward said.

"And vampire," Carlisle agreed.

"Can they be killed?" I asked.

"Of course," Carlisle said, "Otherwise, how was Marcus was able to defeat some of them?"

"So how do you kill them?" I asked, "Silver bullets..."

"It's a myth, Bella" Edward said, simply.

"As far as I know," Carlisle said, "Vampire venom is the only sure way of killing them."

"Other than destroying the moon," Edward said.

"Edward!" I said, "Be serious!"

"The old tales," Carlisle continued, "tell about wars between vampires and werewolves. But there is no happy ending with those stories. Vampires have one true enemy."

"Werewolves," I said.

"That is why we were so worried about the Quileutes at first," Carlisle said, nodding.

The mention of Jacob's tribe sparked something in my mind.

"Leah," I said.

"What?" Carlisle said.

"Leah Clearwater imprinted on Lyle's oldest son," I said.

Edward laughed.

"Wow," he said, "Who knew that Leah would actually be the first in her tribe to imprint an actual wolf!"

"Leah Clearwater has found her imprint?" Rosalie's voice rang out.

I looked up the stairs. Rosalie and Emmett were standing there.

"It's a wolf?" Emmett asked, "Wait? Is it Jacob?"

"It's an actual werewolf, Em," Edward said.

Rosalie's jaw dropped, and I noticed Emmet's nostrils flare up.

"Hang on just a moment," I said, raising my hands again, "I want to know something."

Carlisle and Edward looked at me.

"Those children," I said, "The other two children I saw. One was about Nessie's age and the other was definitely younger. Are they werewolves?"

Carlisle only frowned.

"No!" I said, yelling, "No way!"

"Bella," Edward said, "It's not our choice."

"Do you realize what you're saying?!" I asked, "If Vampires and Werewolves are enemies, there is only one thing we can do. Well, I won't be a part of it when we're talking about children!"

"We don't have to kill them," Emmett said.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, "When they find out we're vampires--"

"Dad," Emmett interrupted me, "Do you remember the old tales?"

"Of course," Carlisle said, "For the most part."

"What about detransformation?" Emmett asked.

"What is he talking about?" I asked.

"It's basically a cure, Bella," Emmett said.

"When it comes to comparing human stories," Carlisle said, "with the real stories, there is actually one comparison. If a human is bitten, they will become a werewolf. That is the most common way of creating a werewolf. The other is natural birth. That is when it gets complicated. If both mates are werewolves, then their children will definitely be werewolves. If only one mate is a werewolf, there is a fifty-percent chance that the children will be werewolves."

"So there is still a chance some of the kids aren't werewolves?" I asked, happy for some possible good news.

"We don't know if Lyle's wife is a werewolf," Edward said.

"So we'll have to find out," I said, shrugging, "And what does this have to do with detransformation?"

"It's a cure," Carlisle said, "Like Em said. But it is also very complicated, and very rare."

"Also it's almost impossible," Emmett scoffed.

"How is it done?" I asked.

"Only vampire venom can cure a werewolf," Carlisle said.

"But," I said, very confused at this point, "I thought that killed them."

"I did say it was complicated," Carlisle said, "You remember what happened after James attacked you?"

"Vaguely," I said.

My human memories were a bit fuzzy now.

"It's the same with werewolves," Carlisle said, "You can cure a werewolf with just the right amount of venom."

"You can also kill them with just the right amount as well," Emmett said, grinning.

"Can you cure a human," I asked, "Between the time they're bitten and the time they become a werewolf?"

"It's plausible," Carlisle said.

"There is a reason I say it is almost impossible, Bella," Emmett said, "Because a vampire would have to be crazy, even suicidal, to get close enough to a Werewolf with full intentions of curing them. Most werewolves don't want to be cured."

Suddenly, Emmett gave his booming laugh and I heard birds cawing outside.

"Though I suppose," Emmett said, his laugh continuing, "if you really are a suicidal vampire, it's smarter to go to the werewolves than the Volturi. At least the werewolves don't play with their food."

"So there are a pack of werewolves in Forks?" Rosalie asked.

"There is a good chance, Rose," Carlisle said.

"Exciting," Rose said, sarcasm ringing in her voice, "I had almost forgotten how fun a violent existence was. Tell me when the fun begins, will you? I'm going back to my reading."

She walked away and disappeared down the hallway.

"We really are going to have to kill them?" I asked, frowning, "Are we?"

"If it comes to that, Bella," Carlisle said.

"Can't we try and cure them?" I asked.

"Not many werewolves want to be cured, Bella," Edward said.

"Besides," Carlisle said, "Have you forgotten? If the Graysons are werewolves, then they are probably responsible for the recent incidents around up north and in Kalaloch. If that is true, then they are pretty violent. And it is more than likely that they won't stop."

"Oh my gosh," I gasped, "Dad!"

I ran out of the room before anyone could respond and went straight for the telephone. I dialed so quickly that I messed up and had to do it again.

"Please be there," I pleaded, as the phone rang.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

"Hello," Charlie's voice said.

"Dad!" I said, relieved, "Thank god."

"This is Charlie Swan," Charlie's voice said, and I painfully realized it was the answering machine, "I am not here right now, so leave a message after the beep. If this is a real emergency, you need to call the police station or the hospital. Thanks and I'll get back with you as soon as possible."

Beep.

"Dad?" I said, frantically, "Dad? Please be there. Okay, fine. Please call me when you get this. I'm going to try your cell-phone."

I hung up then dialed again. Ring. Ring.

"Hello?" Charlie's voice said.

"Dad?" I asked.

"Bella?" Charlie said.

"Thank god," I said again.

"What is it, honey?" Charlie asked.

"Um…"I began.

I didn't exactly know where to begin.

"Where are you?" I asked.

"I just left the Grayson's house," Charlie said, "I'm on my way home. Why? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I lied, "I just wanted to hear your voice."

"Bella, you're not fine," Charlie said, "I can hear it in your voice. What is it?"

I sighed. Damn Charlie and his fatherly ways of worrying about me!

"I don't know right now," I said, "Look, I'll talk to you at the party tomorrow. It's at noon, okay? I'll tell you then."

Or not.

"Look," I said, "I need to go."

"Bella?" Charlie said, "Isabella --?"

I hung up the phone, and immediately felt bad about it. If I knew my father like I did, he would probably be on his way over here. I groaned.

-------------------------------------------  
I waited, pacing around the living room, for my father. I didn't know if he would come by or not. Finally, at nine-o-clock, when I was sure he wouldn't come by, I escorted Nessie to the cottage to tuck her into bed.

"Mommy?" Nessie said, when she climbed into bed, "Tell me a story."

"What do you want to hear?" I asked, thinking a nice story would calm me down, "Cinderella? Three Bears?"

"How did you and Daddy meet?" Nessie asked.

I was surprised Nessie suggested this.

"You've never heard that story?" I asked.

Nessie shook her head.

"Well," I said, sitting down on the end of her bed, "You know I lived with Renee before I came to Forks, right?"

Nessie nodded. Though she had never met my mother, I had told Nessie stories about her over the past few months.

"Well, when I came to Forks," I said, "I moved in with Grampa. I was a Junior in High School. That is where I met Daddy. But did you know Daddy was scared of me at first?"

Nessie's jaw dropped.

"No!" she gasped, giggling, "Really?!"

"Really," I said, nodding.

"Why?" Nessie asked.

"Well," I said, "Daddy thought he might hurt me."

"Why would Daddy want to hurt you, Mommy?" Nessie said, frowning.

"He didn't want to," I said, "He was just afraid he would. You know I didn't used to be a vampire, right? That I used to be human?"

"Kind of like me!" Nessie said.

"Kind of, yeah," I said, "Well, since I was a human and your Daddy was a vampire, it was kind of hard for us to be around each other. At first, your Daddy thought he might bite me, and that wouldn't have been good for me. He got used to me then, and we became friends, and then we fell in love."

"Why would anyone want to hurt you?" Nessie asked.

"Well," I said, "People are afraid of what we are. Because they… don't understand us. Humans are usually afraid of what they can't explain. And there are other things out there too."

"Would they hurt me?" Nessie asked.

I felt a pain in my chest. If I had a beating heart, this would have truly stopped it dead. I sighed, trying to avoid the thoughts about the werewolves.

"You know Daddy and I would never let anyone hurt you," I said, "Right?"

Nessie nodded.

"You know why?" I asked.

Nessie shrugged.

"Because you are mine and Daddy's little angel," I said, smiling.

"And Jakey's," Nessie said, laughing.

"And Jakey's," I agreed with a sigh, "Now. I think it's time for you to go to sleep. It's a big day for you tomorrow. Right?"

Nessie nodded, happily.

"And for you!" she said.

"Yeah," I said, "And for me."

I smiled and kissed my daughter on her forehead.

"Close those beautiful eyes now," I said, smiling at Nessie.

"Good night, Mommy," Nessie said, as I stood up, "I love you."

Hearing those three little words from my daughter warmed me up a great deal.

"I love you too, sweetheart," I said, smiling.

I turned off the light and closed the door behind me. I sighed and looked at the blank wall across from me. I had to do something or I was going to go crazy. The thoughts of werewolves in Forks were jumping in and out of my mind. I walked down the hallway and stopped at a doorway. It wasn't the doorway to my room, but the doorway to the small storage closet. I opened it and searched for a box. A few moments later, I found it and carried it out of the closet. Inside were my ancient computer and everything that went with it.

Edward offered to buy me a laptop, and put the old computer out with the trash. I immediately had to refuse. I couldn't throw away my old computer. It was a personal treasure. Like a old stamp or a rare first-edition baseball card, signed by the person that was depicted on it. Esme had hooked up the cottage with internet when she built the place. So I set my computer on the kitchen table, and plugged it in. It was still slow as ever, but I was used to it. I logged onto the internet and immediately checked my e-mail. There wasn't the usual e-mail by Renee there. I didn't expect it.

Renee thought I was still sick in my death bed and neither I, nor Charlie as far as I knew, told her otherwise. It felt bad to think about, but I really didn't expect to see my mother ever again, and I was fine with it. I forced myself to close the e-mail, if only to keep myself from e-mailing my mother and telling her everything.

I went to my favorite search site, and typed in "Werewolves". I pressed enter, and it took a few minutes to bring up the results. I searched for an hour for myths of werewolves and all were tales told by humans. I was still searching when Edward entered the cottage.

"Bella?" Edward called.

"In the kitchen!" I replied.

"What are you doing?" Edward said, walking over to me.

"Research," I said.

"There isn't going to be anything about the old tales, Bella," Edward said, sighing.

"Why not?" I asked, "How do you think I found out about vampires when you wouldn't tell me?"

"You found the one story that turned out to be true, Bella," Edward said, "The one story the Volturi hadn't taken down from the internet because it is close to human vampire tales. There are no old tales about werewolves on the internet because all of them include vampires. Those stories are the true ones. Those stories are the ones the humans can never find out about."

"Speaking of that," I said, "We have to tell my father."

"Bella," Edward said, with a sigh.

"I'm not going to let Jacob get framed for something he didn't do," I said, growled, "because we were cowards and decided to keep the story to ourselves! Besides, don't you think the Quileutes need to know as well. They are involved as long as Leah is in love with one!"

"Bella," Edward said, again, "I don't think --"

"I don't care if you think it is smart or not," I said, "This is my father and my friends we're talking about. Not just some normal human!"

I sighed.

"Look," I continued, "I won't tell my father what we are. I'll only tell him what the Graysons are. I won't let him cross their paths again without knowing what they are. Even then, I won't let him cross paths with them. I will truly kill them before they get in breathing range of my father again."

"This is quite the change," Edward said, "Earlier, you refused to kill them. What changed your mind?"

"You didn't hear my father's voice when I called him tonight," I said, "You didn't hear our daughter's voice when I tucked her into bed. She wanted to know why someone would want to hurt us. She asked me why anyone would want to hurt her, Edward!"

I closed my eyes, trying to keep from seeing the terrible visions I was thinking.

"You didn't tell her about the werewolves, did you?" Edward asked.

"No," I said, shaking my head.

"Good," Edward said, muttered, "It is better that she just forgets the Graysons. Why did she ask about that anyway?"

"What?" I asked. Because of my research, I had momentarily forgotten about the bedtime story I told Nessie, "Oh. She wanted to know how I met you. I told her you were afraid of me at first. You know… how you were afraid you'd hurt me."

"I'll never forget that feeling, Bella," Edward muttered, "It's one of the few moments in my long existence when I was truly scared about something."

"It's okay to get scared," I said, "Even vampires need to fear something."

"I fear one thing, Bella," Edward said, "You know what that is."

I nodded. It was same thing I feared: The deaths of the people I loved dearly. And if it was my choice, I would do everything in my power to keep that from happening. Even if it meant that I left this world forever…

------------------------------------------  
**Chapter finished!**

I'm not exactly sure if this is the story Stephanie Meyer had, when it came to real werewolves in the Twilight Series. But it was what I had in mind. Remember, there is a difference between werewolves and what Jacob's tribe is. Keep that in mind. ****

Feedback would be great!


	6. Persuasion

**Chapter 6  
Persuasion**

That night was one of the worst nights I'd had since I had become a vampire. Throughout the night I wondered if this night would turn out to be number one on my list of "Worst Nights in the Life and Existence of Isabella Swan-Cullen". It was, in my opinion, higher than those first few nights during my transformation. Even higher than the agonizing nights of torture before the Volturi came, when I was wondering how many hours I had left to live. That was when I remembered that glorious night before the Volturi arrived, when Edward and I spent the whole night in each other's arms, and our heads were filled of thoughts about each other, Nessie, and our families. That, I then realized, was up there as one of the best nights of my existence. This night, however, was definitely not even an ink drop on that list.

After I turned off the computer, Edward and I retreated into our bedroom. I couldn't keep the thoughts about my future -- our future, my family's future -- out of my head, and for once, I was glad I couldn't sleep anymore. Otherwise sleep would have been invaded by nightmares of Lyle Grayson turning into a big furry animal and invading my cozy cottage.

Edward must have decided that I was too deeply immersed in my thoughts to be bothered, because he had resorted to reading a book. He didn't even respond when I changed into the dreaded lace outfit Alice had given me, and I knew then that he didn't want to upset me. I wouldn't have worn it, but everything I usually wore at night was dirty. I had left it in the large closet when we moved out.

I was so busy, I hadn't bothered doing any laundry since we had arrived at Forks. That was when I realized that laundry would occupy the hours of the night, and would hopefully scare my conscious nightmares away. Esme had installed a washer and dryer in our cottage, just in case the machines in her house were occupied. I put a load of laundry in the washer with all the fixings, and turned it on. The loud sound interrupted my thoughts for the moment, and I was temporarily happy.

I returned to my bedroom. As the sounds of the clothes tumbling and water churning in the washer faded, those terrible thoughts returned to my head. I felt sick. I laid in bed and lightly pushed Edward's book away. He looked at me questioningly, and I kissed him. It was only a short kiss, because my head felt too heavy to let it linger. I rested my head on my husband's chest, and I felt his fingers run through my long hair.

"I think we should go back to New Hampshire in a couple of days," he said after a few minutes.

"I can't," I said.

"I can't bear to let you stay here," Edward said.

"I can fight the werewolves, Edward," I said.

"I wasn't talking about that, Bella," Edward said, "I can't bear to watch you like this. Ever since you learned about the werewolves, you've been in a foggy stupor."

"If I leave," I said, "I'll be worse."

"Bella," Edward said, "Listen to me."

"No!" I exclaimed, "You listen to me."

I lifted my heavy head off of his chest, and looked up at him.

"If I leave," I said, "I will be too worried. I would be worse than I am now. I'd be unbearable. You know that, right?"

Edward sighed.

"I couldn't bear to think about being so far away from the people I love," I said, "Especially now that I know those monsters are in the area."

"Bella, listen to yourself," Edward said. "Monsters? What would you call us?"

"We don't kill people and their pets, Edward!" I said, raising my voice.

It was then that I wished I could cry. I needed to cry. I needed to let it out some other way then I was doing now. If I raised my voice any longer, I would wake up Nessie.

"We'll take a vote tomorrow," Edward said, "Carlisle and everyone, I mean. They'll decide if we should leave or not."

"That's not fair!" I said, "You're using my old plan against me!"

"Should have known it would come back to bite you," Edward said, grinning.

"I'll bite you," I muttered lowly.

"I need to book tickets then," Edward said, "I figured we could go in three days. Tomorrow's the party, then the next day we can hunt, and we'll leave the day after."

"You don't even know how the vote will go!" I said.

"I thought you said the vote wasn't fair," Edward said.

"It isn't," I said, gritting my teeth.

"I'm just going to book the tickets in case it is decided," Edward said, "Which I know it will be."

I groaned and got out of bed. At the moment, I couldn't stand being in the same room as my husband. He wouldn't listen to me tonight.

I walked to Nessie's bedroom and opened the door quietly, then walked in. Nessie was sleeping peacefully. I felt jealous of her. Her dreams were probably filled with happy thoughts and sunny days. I hoped she was dreaming of a day where there was peace in the world and nobody would care if we were vampires. I sat in the wooden rocking chair and watched my daughter as she was sleeping. She looked so innocent sleeping there. Her questions from earlier that night rang through my mind again.

_Why would anyone want to hurt you? Would they hurt me?_

I wanted to climb into her bed and never let her go. But I didn't want to wake her up. When she was asleep, she was safe. No thoughts about a future where she might not exist. Kind of like the thoughts racing through my mind at that moment.

A couple hours of laundry and deep thinking later, I realized Edward might have been right. I returned to my bedroom, where Edward was reading again.

"We don't need to hear a vote," I said, stopping in the doorway.

"What?" Edward asked.

"We can go back to New Hampshire," I said.

"What changed your mind?" Edward asked.

"When I was sitting in Nessie's room," I said, "I thought of a future without me in it. I couldn't bear it, Edward. Our daughter needs us. She needs us more than I need anyone in the world. If we stay here --"

"Okay," Edward said, sighing.

His tone surprised me. It was different than his last argument.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Well, I too did some thinking," Edward said, "It seems that in the past couple of hours, both of us unknowingly agreed with the other's earlier arguments and it doesn't help us one bit."

"You want to stay?" I asked.

"It's just," Edward said, "we would solve both of our worries if the werewolves were gone. I don't care how, but I want them far away from here. Bella, if that is your decision, you can leave with Nessie and go back to New Hampshire. But I need to make sure that when I leave, I don't regret it."

My eyes widened.

"You're right," I said, "These past couple of hours haven't helped us one bit."

"I'm sorry, Bella," Edward said, "I was so sure you wouldn't change your mind."

I closed my eyes. My next decision would decide the future of everyone I loved.

"I guess I haven't," I said.

"You're staying too?" Edward asked.

"Yes," I said, opening my eyes.

"Why?" Edward asked.

"If I remember correctly," I said, "You told me once that you couldn't bear to be too far from me. Well, I'm giving you that same response. I couldn't bear to be too far from you either."

I walked over to the bed and climbed into it. I kissed my husband on the lips, and this time I lingered. I didn't want to back away. I was afraid that if I did back away, Edward wouldn't be there anymore. He took me in his arms and I felt strangely warm against his cool body. I felt truly connected with him again, like I had that first fateful, wonderful night. Except this time, it was much different than that night. This time, I was only in his embrace. But even then, I felt closer to Edward than I ever had.

"So we're staying?" I asked, "At least until this whole ordeal is over?"

"Yes," Edward said, nodding. "We're staying."

I smiled and he kissed me again. For the first time all night, I felt very light-headed.

---------------------------------------------

For once, I was looking forward to the party the following day. I needed something to make me happy, and definitely needed something to ward off those dark, depressing thoughts.

However, Alice wasn't happy. She was about to kick me out of the house, when Edward stopped her, and told her that it was all right. She only agreed after she made a deal with Edward. Nessie and I were to be locked up in a room with a television and a super-fast computer until it was time for the party. I was about to argue, but Edward told me we should have considered ourselves lucky.

I avoided the computer at first, but I found out that the television only made things worse. First of all, there was yet another breaking news story. This time, there was no missing pet. The animal, a cocker spaniel, was found a few feet away from its owner in a log cabin in Clearwater, another town to the south of Forks. Both were dead. I knew what the police must have found, and didn't need to hear it from the reporter, so I turned the channel. The next channel I landed on had a werewolf movie. The next channel was a movie where a vampire, who I realized looked nothing like the real thing, was fighting another vampire. Another channel was a children's show with a very annoying theme song. I groaned and went to the computer, letting Nessie watch the show, which she was, apparently, thoroughly enjoying.

I logged in, surprised at the speed of the computer. Perhaps I would let Edward buy me a new one after all. I logged onto a site that was far from anything that had to do with vampires and werewolves. It was only a few moments later before the inevitable happened. Across the screen, an ad popped up about a new movie that had to do with (surprise surprise!) werewolves and vampires. I had to fight the urge to throw the computer across the room and curse to the high heavens. I still cursed under my breath.

I closed the internet window and opened a Word document. I started writing non-stop, not caring what I wrote. An hour later, after another annoying theme song on the TV interrupted my creative writing, I stopped and read what I had written. I realized, in horror, it was an "If you are reading this, I am gone" letter. I rolled my eyes.

"At least it isn't a short story about werewolves," I commented to myself, as I closed the page without saving anything.

---------------------------------------------

Two hours later, the door opened. I turned and saw Edward standing in the doorway.

"You may come down," he said, "Your guests are here."

"Guests?" I said.

For a horrible split-second, I thought Alice had invited my high-school friends. Then I realized even she wasn't crazy enough to do that.

"You'll see," Edward said.

Nessie and I walked out of the room and down to the bottom level. I quickly realized the guests Edward mentioned were just Charlie, Sue, Jacob, Billy and most of Jacob's friends. I noticed, though I wasn't surprised, that Leah wasn't there. Charlie was closest to me, and Jacob was on the far side of the room. I knew that he and my father were avoiding each other. Nessie immediately hugged Charlie, then ventured across the room full of vampires and shape-shifters to hug Jacob.

"Hi, Dad," I said, walking over to my father and hugging him, "Thanks for coming."

"I wouldn't miss a party for my two favorite girls in the world," Charlie said, "You know that."

As I looked around, I had to hand it to Alice. At least she didn't go out of her way to put this party over the top. There were just a few birthday decorations and balloons.

"Are you going to tell me what you didn't tell me on the phone?" Charlie asked in a whisper.

"I'll make a deal," I said to Charlie, ready for this, "What I am going to tell you concerns Jacob as well. I'll tell you, but first I want you and Jacob to make up. Shake hands with him. Please. There'll be no hard feelings here."

"Bella," Charlie said, "You can't expect me to --"

"Yes," I said, and I couldn't believe I was actually ordering my own father to do something, "I can. And I do."

I turned and looked across the room.

"Jacob!" I called, "Can you come here please?"

Edward looked at me in confusion, and I smiled. Jacob nodded and walked over. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Charlie cringe.

"We're all friends here," I said. "That means the both of you as well. Jacob, please tell Charlie what I know you want to tell him."

"Bella," Jacob said, and I heard pleading in his voice.

"Do it," I threatened, softly so only Jacob could hear, "Or I'll ask Edward to interpret your thoughts."

Jacob narrowed his eyes, but his expression went soft a moment later.

"Charlie," he finally said, "I know what you must think of me. You've known me since I was born, and before I told you what I am, you didn't think any different of me. You saw me as your best friend's son. I'm still that boy, Charlie. I'm just a little different."

I looked at Charlie, who had his eyebrows raised.

"Okay," Jacob said, "I'm a lot different. I admit it. But you need to know I would never threaten you, your daughter, nor anyone else in this room. I will admit that it was my pack who caused all that harm in the forests around here. For that, as the Alpha of my pack, I will apologize for everything we did and admit that I know I cannot change any of it. But, Charlie, I also want you to know this. My pack has had nothing to do with the recent events. I don't know if you'll believe me. I just want you to accept what we are. We're not, though, what you think we are. What we are, and what you think we are, are two very different things."

"Which is exactly what I want to talk about," I said to Charlie, "Only after you tell Jacob what I want you to tell him."

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Carlisle react in surprise at what I had said. I also noticed that Edward was trying to give him a silent response. Charlie cleared his throat.

"That was very brave of you, Jacob," he said, "And I appreciate it. Despite what everyone believes, and as much as I want to believe it myself, I don't know everything that goes on in, and around, the town of Forks. I do know this though. I believe you, Jacob Black."

I was just as surprised as Jacob.

"I'm not sure if everyone in here knows," Charlie said, raising his voice a little, "but there was an incident in Clearwater, Washington. The town is pretty far away from here. At least three hours or more. The incident happened only a few hours ago. And as far as I know, Jacob, there is no way you could have been in Clearwater, and able to come back to be here at the party in time."

I smiled. It sounded like Charlie had definitely changed his beliefs about Jacob.

"It is unknown, however," Charlie said, "If this incident is connected with the incidents over the last few days, however similar both may be. When it comes to what I personally think of you, Jacob, you are also right. You still are the boy I knew years ago, even if you've had more changes than the normal teenager. I can't change what you are, Jacob. I know that. And as long as your… condition… doesn't affect who I care about, I will ignore it and you will still be the boy I knew years ago. My priorities are with the safety of this town and the people in it, and I don't think it would be a good idea to publicly reveal what you are. But -- and I want you to understand this, out of everything I say -- that will all change if I get any word of any more criminal incidents that point your way. Do you understand?"

Jacob nodded, apparently pleased with how the conversation how gone.

"Then I think we're fine here," Charlie said.

Charlie extended his hand. Jacob hesitated then shook my father's hand.

"Okay," I said, thoroughly pleased with my father and best friend, "If you will come with me, I need to discuss a few things with the both of you. If Jacob's pack is okay with it, I would like Edward and Carlisle to come with me as well."

Jacob looked at his pack, who looked a little tense, and nodded. They all nodded in response, and I could tell how much power Jacob had over them.

"Follow me, then," I said.

The five of us walked out into the privacy of the entrance hall.

"So?" Charlie said, "What's going on, Bella? You sounded so frightened on the phone yesterday."

"There is a reason Edward, Nessie and I left the Grayson's house early, last night," I said, "Edward has this… sixth sense…"

Edward laughed softly at the term.

"He can read people's minds," I said, "Or most of them. He can't read my mind. And he couldn't read Lyle Grayson's mind. But it isn't because Lyle and I have anything in common. We definitely have nothing in common, Dad. Let me assure you of that."

"I don't understand, Bella," Charlie said.

"Dad," I said, "Lyle Grayson, and at least one of his children, possibly his whole family… are werewolves."

Charlie snorted. Jacob raised his eyebrows at me.

"You're joking?" Charlie asked me, "Right?"

Charlie looked around at Edward and Carlisle. Both shook their heads.

"Werewolves?" Charlie said, "Like Teen Wolf and all that -- oh! No offense, Jacob."

I heard a low growl come from Jacob.

"Dad," I said, "We're serious. They're as real as you can get."

"Probably more real than you can imagine, Chief Swan," Carlisle said.

"Great," Charlie said, raising his hands up, "That's perfect! I am the sheriff of goddamn Transylvania!"

Jacob snorted, and it was only then when I realized how funny Charlie's response sounded.

"Charlie," Carlisle said, "This is more serious than you can possibly imagine. The suspects of the crimes of recent days are anything but normal."

"What am I supposed to do about it, Doc?!" Charlie said, his voice raised, "Invest in some damn silver bullets!"

Edward rolled his eyes.

"I know you're not going to believe me when I tell you this," Carlisle said, "But there are ways to destroy these werewolves."

Edward and I looked at Carlisle? Was he about to do what I think he was going to do?

"Unfortunately it has nothing to do with the police," Carlisle said.

"I suppose you're about to tell me you know some Van Helsing wanna-be, right?" Charlie asked.

Jacob scoffed.

"Van Helsing wasn't real," he said, laughing.

"Jacob, you're not helping," I scolded him.

I sighed. I had to keep this conversation from going too far. Then I thought of an idea. But would it work?

"But I think I know of a way you can," I continued, "Excuse me, Dad. I'll be back in a second. Come on, Jacob."

Edward looked at me with raised eyebrows.

"Stay with our fathers, Edward," I said, "Charlie might have more questions."

"You better believe that!" Charlie said.

Jacob and I walked up the stairs and out of hearing range.

"What is going on, Bells?" Jacob asked, "What do you mean, werewolves? Like real, genuine werewolves?"

"Like the kind that doesn't have a choice what they turn into, Jacob," I said, rolling my eyes, "Yes."

"Exciting," Jacob said, "So how can I help?"

"You can't," I said, "But that isn't what your going to tell Charlie. You're going to tell Charlie that, even though you're not a werewolf, you still have the power to kill the werewolves."

"Of course we do, Bells!" Jacob said, "We're stronger than those wanna-be's!"

"No, Jacob," I said, "You aren't."

"If you say that," Jacob said, You honestly underestimate our power."

"No, you underestimate the werewolves, Jacob," I said, "Look, there is only one true way to kill a werewolf: vampire venom."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Jacob said, "Okay. So let's just say I believe you. What makes you think I want to lie to your father? I mean, we're buddies now. As long as he doesn't call me Teen Wolf again."

I rolled my eyes.

"You want to tell him this," I said, "Because you have a reason to be mad at the werewolves."

"Uh-huh," Jacob said, doubtfully, "And what is that?"

"Leah's imprint," I said, "Is Louis Grayson. The other werewolf we know of."

Jacob laughed.

"Haha, Bells," he said, "Very funny."

"Do I look like I'm laughing, Jake?" I asked, my expression very serious.

"You're serious?" Jacob said.

"Leah's dating a wolf," I said.

"How do you know?" Jacob asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Louis was at his father's party," I said, "And Edward couldn't read his mind, just like he couldn't read Lyle Grayson's mind. Only, we don't know if the rest of their family are werewolves."

"Why wouldn't they be?" Jacob asked.

"Because we're not sure if Lyle's wife is human or a werewolf," I said, "If she's human, there is a chance that a few of her kids aren't werewolves. If she's a werewolf, the whole family is a pack."

"Damn," Jacob said, "Leah's not going to be happy. She's extremely happy she finally found her imprint."

"Where is Leah, by the way?" I asked.

"Out with Louis," Jacob grumbled.

"Oh," I said, wishing I hadn't asked, "So… you believe me?

"Yes," Jacob said, sighed, "I believe you. What do you want me to say to your father?"

"Explain to him that your pack aren't true werewolves," I said, "But that you're pack is the mortal enemy of the werewolves."

"You think he'll believe that?" Jacob asked.

"He'll believe that's the reason your pack exists," I said, "And then he won't want to kill you for your past crimes in the forests around here."

I expected Jacob to react badly to that. He just laughed.

"Well," he said, "If it saves my hide and doesn't make Charlie and me enemies again, I'll do it."

"Great," I said, "Let's go back downstairs."

Jacob and I walked back into the entrance hall.

"So?" Charlie asked, "What's going on?"

"Chief Swan," Jacob said, before I could answer, "You'll be happy to know that the werewolves won't be around much longer."

"Oh?" Charlie replied.

"While my pack and I are not werewolves," Jacob said, "We are still humans who can turn into wolves. Because of this, it makes us mortal enemies of the werewolves. Basically what I'm trying to say is, Chief Swan, it's my pack or theirs."

I was impressed. For a moment there, I actually believed him. I then noticed that Edward and Carlisle looked slightly surprised with what Jacob said.

"Jacob," Edward said, clapping his hand on Jacob's shoulder, "I will admit. You're a braver man than I am."

I could tell that Edward was trying his best to keep himself from cracking up. I admired that.

"If you follow me," Jacob said, and I knew he was trying his best to keep the story believable, "We can sit and discuss the future."

Charlie nodded, speechless, and walked with Jacob back into the living room.

"What the hell was that all about, Bella?" Carlisle asked, "The shape-shifters are not mortal enemies of the werewolves."

"Yes, do tell," Edward said, "Explain to me why I basically just told that mutt he was the bravest man I've ever known."

"It was either that," I said, "Or tell Charlie the truth and have the Volturi back in our woods."

"Well," Carlisle said, looking impressed, "Much better than I could come up with. I was this close from telling your father we're vampires."

"Ha," Edward said, "I'm sure Charlie would definitely appoint himself as the official 'sheriff of Transylvania' then. If he didn't try to murder me first for changing his only daughter into a vampire, anyway."

He laughed, and I had to laugh too.

"Come on," Carlisle said, "We're missing your party. If we delay any longer, Alice will kill us before the werewolves have their chance."

I couldn't help but agree with that.

------------------------------------------  
**Chapter finished!**

When I started this chapter, I had full intentions of writing it about the party. Well, more important things came to mind. I'm not exactly the best when it comes to writing about parties, so I apologize. But I will try to sum up the party in the next chapter.

Much more to come! The excitement and drama continues!

Feedback would be great!


	7. Return to the Meadow

**Chapter 7  
Return to the Meadow**

The party was more exciting than I imagined it would be. Now that Charlie and Jacob were friends again, they were pretty enjoyable to be around. Nessie must have noticed the difference as well, because she made sure that she entertained both my father and best friend at the same time.

I was happy enough to accept the gifts that were given to me, if only to distract the continued thoughts about werewolves. Edward gave me a new lap-top, and I shouldn't have been surprised. I still made a mental note to keep my old antique computer, though there was a spare second I thought of giving it to Lyle Grayson for his "museum", before I remembered that he was a werewolf. Billy gave me a wooden carving of a wolf and I noticed that it resembled Jacob in wolf-form. Billy later told me that he carved the figure out himself while Jacob stood there as his subject. I was impressed. Jacob and his pack gave me one gift. It was a fur coat, and I had a feeling it was made from some of the animals that lurked around Forks and La Push. Charlie gave me a new fully-paid cell-phone.

Alice and Jasper gave me a gift card to one of Alice's favorite clothing stores. Typical, I thought, but I thanked them anyway. Emmett and Rosalie's gift turned out to be a stereo system for my car. Edward told me he would install it when we got home. Carlisle and Esme's gift was a coupon. I thought it was strange at first, but then I read it. It was a six-day. seven-night trip to Isle Esme. I wasn't too sure about this one, given my last experience on the island. No matter how the first half of that experience was extremely beautiful and memorable, there were a few bits of the trip that I wanted to forget.

Nessie's gifts were much better than mine. Charlie's gift, and mine and Edward's gift, were similar. Both were heart-shaped lockets. Charlie's gift had a picture of him inside it. Edward and my gift to her had a picture of each of us in it. Jacob, Billy and the pack gave Nessie a stuffed wolf. I would later find out that if you opened up the flip on the wolf's heart, Jacob's picture was in it… much to Edward's displeasure, of course. Alice and Jasper gave Nessie a gift card to the child-age specified version of Alice's favorite store. Emmett and Rosalie gave Nessie one of those drive-able toy cars and Emmett promised me that, even if he did give it a few kinks of his own, it didn't go as fast as any of his real cars.

Carlisle later told me and Edward that he and Esme had set up Nessie with her own bank account. He assured us that Nessie would have enough money to support her for as long as she lived. I was pretty grateful about this, given the fact that Nessie was basically as immortal as I was.

The party went on until around five-o-clock. Before Jacob and his pack left, he told me that he would explain to his pack what had been discussed earlier in the day. He also assured me that he would find Leah and try to cautiously explain what her boyfriend really was. He added that he would try to make sure his story to Charlie continued to be convincing as possible, without trying to interfere with our work. I thanked him.

Charlie promised me that he would try to come up with a convincing story to his fellow officers about the current events. He also said he might not be able to keep up with the story very long and hoped that Jacob and his pack knew what they were doing. I nodded and assured him that they did. I smiled, because to me it was giving him the same promise, without telling him what I was. The conversation then went to more personal matters…

"Are you returning to New Hampshire before too long?" Charlie asked me, as we stood in the entrance hall.

"I think we'll stay for a little while longer," I said.

"Wonderful," Charlie said.

There was one more thing I needed to know from my father.

"Er… Dad," I said, "Have you -- um -- talked to Renee lately?"

Charlie sighed and nodded.

"And?" I asked.

"Bella, I've been a police officer for a long time now," Charlie said, "I've talked to families of victims who've died in car accidents and everything else you can imagine. But my last conversation with Renee was the most depressing conversation I've ever had in my life. Including the day I told Sue Clearwater that Harry had died."

I frowned. Harry was one of Charlie's best friends who had died of a heart attack.

"First of all," Charlie said, "I need to know something. This -- condition -- you have. Does it mean that your appearance won't change for a long time? What I'm trying to say is… basically you'll look like your eighteen years old for a long time?"

"Yeah," I said, "That's basically it."

It was the best I could come up with, without telling my father the truth. Charlie nodded.

"You know, in a way," Charlie said, a small laugh coming from him, "That doesn't sound so bad. I bet there are people in the entertainment business who wish they could still look like they did when they were eighteen years old."

"Well," I said, laughing, "When you put it that way, it doesn't sound so bad."

I immediately sobered up.

"So what did you tell Renee?" I asked him.

"Well," he said, "I told Renee that I didn't even know where you are. The only thing I knew was that you were going to live, but that you went through some pretty serious changes. What I basically told your mother is that neither I nor her would probably ever get to see you again."

My jaw dropped. Charlie had done this for me?

"When you moved to New Hampshire, Bella," he said, "Renee came to Forks to find you. I told her that there was a chance you might return. But that was months ago. Renee called me a couple of weeks ago and that is the last time I've heard from her. Bella, what I'm trying to say is… I think Renee is out of your life now. Maybe forever."

Suddenly, Charlie broke into tears.

"And I feel as if this is my fault," he said, half-sobbing, "If you never would have moved to Forks, then --"

"Then I wouldn't have met Edward, Dad," I said, interrupting him, "And we wouldn't have Nessie in our lives. I can't imagine life like that. I was meant to come to Forks, Dad. And I haven't been this happy in a long time. None of this is your fault. It's my choice. I could go to Phoenix, Arizona right now and see Renee if I wanted to. But I don't want to hurt her anymore than I have. I'm okay with this decision, Dad. I want you to be okay with it too."

Charlie nodded. I hugged him, and I felt him calm down.

"I love you, Bella," Charlie said, "So much."

"I love you too, Daddy," I said.

"Take care of yourself," he said, "And Nessie as well. You're a lucky woman to have someone like her in your life. Don't forget that. One day, there may come a time when you will never see her again. Keep that in mind."

I nodded.

"I know that, Daddy," I said.

Charlie backed away and smiled.

"I need to get going," he said, "I need to check in with the station. Seattle police are supposed to come in a couple of days. These next few days are going to be very interesting."

"If you need help with that," I said, "You can call us or Billy. Don't be too brave, Charlie. Remember, these are not your normal criminals."

"I know, Bella," Charlie said, "I will try to keep a safe distance."

"That is all I'm asking for," I said.

Charlie hugged me again and left the house. I watched him get into his car and drive away.

"You know," a voice said, behind me, "There have been many moments in my existence in which I wish I could just cry again. This might have been one of those moments."

I turned around. Esme was standing there.

"You heard all of that?" I asked her.

"I'm sorry," Esme said, "If vampires have any faults, eavesdropping is mine."

"Don't apologize, Esme," I said, shaking my head, "It's okay."

"I didn't know until now," Esme said, "how much you miss your mother. I couldn't imagine never seeing one of my children again. I know now how your mother must feel."

"Esme," I said, walking over to her and hugging her, "You're my mother now, okay? Or at least, you're the best thing I got when it comes to a mother now."

"I could never replace your mother, Bella," Esme said, "But I could at least attempt to do so, if that is all right with you."

"I couldn't ask for more," I said.

"Anyway," Esme said, "Edward tells me that you and him are going to take Nessie hunting tomorrow?"

"Yeah," I said, "Even if we're not going back to New Hampshire for a while, we still need to hunt soon."

"Bring the baseball stuff," I heard Alice say, as she walked down the stairs, "I foresee a thunderstorm tomorrow."

"Great," I said, "I've been wanting to try that out. I'm sure Nessie will have fun too. If you guys want to, you could come with us, you know."

"Oh, no," Esme said, "Nessie needs a day alone with her parents."

"Yes, I agree with Esme," Alice said, "As much as I'd like to see Nessie tackle her first big bear, I wouldn't want to interfere."

"Maybe next time, then," I said.

-----------------------------------------------------  
The thunderstorm Alice predicted wouldn't come into Forks until late in the afternoon the next day, so Edward and I decided to delay our hunt until about three p.m. Our destination would be my favorite place in Forks, Washington: the small open meadow where one of my most unforgettable human moments took place. I wanted to finally take Nessie there, hoping that it would soon be one of her favorite places too.

So a few minutes before three-o-clock, Edward, Nessie and I piled into the car. The steel bat and baseball were packed away in the trunk.

"I keep trying to pinpoint that thunderstorm for you," Alice said, leaning into the front passenger door window, "But I keep getting interference. Must be because of that little runt in the back seat."

"I'm not a runt, Auntie Alice!" Nessie said, laughing.

"You're going to have to prove that to me, Nessie," Alice said, grinning, "Catch your first large bear, and I promise I won't call you a runt anymore."

"All right," Edward said, scolding his sister, "Don't put too many thoughts into her head."

"You would know, wouldn't you?" Alice said, rolling her eyes.

I laughed.

"Have fun, you guys!" Alice said.

We waved goodbye to Alice, and Edward started the car. We took off down the road. A little after three-o-clock, we arrived at the opening of the pathless route to the meadow.

"Remember, Nessie," I said, "You've never been here, so you need to stick close to us. Okay?"

"I promise, Mommy," Nessie said.

"Keep that in mind," I said, "And you can have as much fun as you want."

"As long as you don't get too confident," Edward said, "If you don't think you can tackle a large bear, don't try it. If we have to, we'll just tell Auntie Alice you did. Okay?"

"Wouldn't that be lying, Daddy?" Nessie asked.

"Sometimes a little lie is okay," Edward said, smiling.

"Now who's putting bad thoughts into her head," I scolded Edward.

Edward grinned. He then sniffed the air.

"Looks like we might not have to wait too long!" he said, grinning.

"You found something?" I asked.

"A small herd of deer," Edward said, "about a fourth of the way into our route to the meadow. Want me to carry the baseball stuff?"

"If you want," I said, feeling my mouth watering, "Let's just get going. I smell that herd now and it's making me a little hungry."

Edward grinned and opened the trunk. He grabbed the bat and baseball, closed the trunk, and we started into the forest. Nessie was just as fast as Edward and I when we ran, so we didn't have to slow down at all. I was impressed by her strides. After about five large strides into the forest, Edward stopped, and Nessie and I went to a halt that left a bit of dust behind us.

"Shh," Edward whispered, "Lunchtime."

I sniffed the air and immediately found the small herd. I heard water running, and I knew they were by a stream. Edward, Nessie and I crept up to a line of trees and hid behind a couple of them. I then saw the herd of deer. There was five of them there, drinking their fill from the stream. One was a buck with an impressive rack of antlers. There were also three doe and a small fawn.

"Dibs on the buck," Edward whispered, "I might have to bring home those antlers as well."

"Nessie can have the fawn," I whispered, "I'll take a doe."

"We'll have to be quick," Edward whispered, "We'll have to attack at the same time, or they'll run."

"The chase is part of the fun, though," I whispered, frowning.

"We don't want to get split up," Edward said, nodding to Nessie.

"Right," I said, turning to Nessie, "Are you ready?"

Nessie nodded.

"On three," I said, "I mean it this time, Nessie."

Nessie nodded again.

"One," I said, "Two. Three."

We jumped across the stream and in the middle of the herd, all in one pounce. Fangs out, I lunged at the nearest doe, tackling it before it could even react. Beside me, I heard a growl and a small squeal, as Nessie lunged at the fawn, pinning it to the ground. I felt so proud of her. I searched for my husband, and it seemed he was having the worst bit of luck. The buck must have sensed Edward in mid-jump, because he ran off down the stream.

"Daddy knows what he's doing," I assured Nessie, who was watching Edward.

I could feel my prey twitching beneath me, and I sank my fangs into its neck. I felt its life leaving it as the blood was replaced with my deadly venom. Feet from me, Nessie was already dining on her lunch. The fawn was completely still.

I heard another growl and looked up. Edward had cornered the large buck, which meant that the buck was going to have to defend itself. This was going to be interesting. Suddenly, the buck charged my husband, and Edward just stood there. I almost yelled for him to move. The buck got close, but Edward lunged and grabbed the buck by his impressive antlers and flipped his head back. I heard a CRACK which told me Edward had won: the buck's neck was definitely broken. Edward grinned at me when he realized I was watching, and sank his teeth into the large carcass. Relieved that Edward's battle was over, I dined on my meal.

A few minutes later, I heard another SNAP. Edward had ripped the antlers off of the deer's skull. He then walked back over to Nessie and me.

"I forgot how feisty the deer around here are," he said, grinning.

"Nice prize," I said, nodding to the antlers.

"Told you I would get them," Edward said, "How are you, Nessie?"

"Still hungry," Nessie said, sulking at the carcass of the fawn, "Can we get those other two deer?"

"No, no, no," Edward said, shaking his head, "What is our third rule to hunting, Nessie?"

"Keep the surprise on our side," Nessie recited.

"Exactly," Edward said, "Those deer know we're here."

I heard a small boom of thunder.

"Eye of the storm's still a few miles away," I said, "Maybe we can find something closer to the meadow."

"Let's get going, then," Edward said, "You're going to have to take the baseball gear though."

He grinned proudly at the antlers in his right hand.

"Right," I said, picking up the steel bat and baseball.

We continued toward the meadow. When we were about ten minutes away, I heard a booming sound.

"That storm is getting closer," I said.

"That isn't the storm," Edward said, "Our next hunt is near."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Do you know, Nessie?" Edward said, turning to his daughter.

Nessie sniffed the air, and I saw her eyes sparkle.

"A bear?" she asked.

"Very good," Edward said, nodding, "A mother bear, I presume. I think she's hunting food for her young."

"I'd feel bad leaving the cubs without their mother," I said.

"We'll have to do something about that, then," Edward said, grinning.

We hid the antlers, and the baseball gear in a small bush. We would need our hands free for our upcoming prey. We resorted to walking because we didn't want to scare the bear.

"The mother is going to be very protective," Edward said, as we walked a few yards, "Nessie, I think you're going to finally get your chance."

"You think she can tackle it?" I asked Edward.

"With a bit of help," Edward said. "It looks like we're going to have to distract it."

I was a little scared, but Nessie looked eager.

"I can do this, Mommy," she said, "I'm not a little runt anymore."

I grinned, and nodded. My mouth watered as the scent of blood found my nostrils.

"Looks like Mother bear found her prey," Edward said, "A rabbit by the smell of it. It means she is distracted. We have to hurry."

Nessie and I followed Edward across the forest clearing. Suddenly, I saw a bush moving, and I could see a bit of black fur.

"There she is," I whispered.

ROAR! The bear growled and looked up. Damn it. She had heard me. Without a second thought, Edward sped to the other side of the bear. I realized his plan.

"Wait for my signal," I told Nessie.

I walked up to the bear, and let her see me. It growled again. I thought she was going to charge me, but Edward growled too. The bear turned around.

"Now!" I ordered Nessie.

Nessie lunged forward in one stride and jumped onto the bear's back. She immediately sank her fangs into the bear's neck, and it collapsed to the ground. I was quite impressed. I noticed, though, that it was still moving. Edward noticed too, and lunged toward it. Nessie moved away for a moment, and before the bear could get back to its feet, Edward snapped the bear's large neck.

"I did it!" Nessie said.

"Great job," I congratulated her, "She's all yours."

"I'm going to find that cub," Edward said, as Nessie started on her next course, "There is only one. It is hiding in a nearby hollow log."

"Edward, no," I said, "If it's old enough, let it live. We can hunt it when it's older."

Edward sighed.

"All right," he said.

I could tell Edward was annoyed with me, but I didn't care. When I pictured that bear, I kept seeing my daughter. Killing a defenseless bear cub was cruel, like killing a parentless child.

--------------------------------------------

A few minutes later, I heard another clap of thunder. The storm was very close now.

"Are you done, Nessie?" Edward asked, "Want to have some real fun?"

Nessie nodded, wiping the blood from her lips.

"Game time!" Edward said.

We retrieved the antlers and gear and headed for the meadow. When we arrived, it was much darker than before. I hadn't noticed this before, because of the incoming storm.

"It's almost night," I said to Edward.

"We won't stay for long," Edward said.

"This place is pretty!" Nessie said.

"You like it?" I asked her.

"I love it!" Nessie squealed.

I smiled. She was so happy here, and so was I. Everything was now perfect.

"All right," Edward said, "We don't want you going very far, Nessie. So I will hit the ball across the meadow, but you need to make sure you stay in our sight. All right?"

"Yes, Daddy," Nessie said.

Edward threw the ball up into the air and struck it with the steel bat. It sounded just like a thunder clap.

"Go!" I told Nessie.

Nessie sped off across the meadow and I made sure I could see her every step. A few moments later, she caught the ball almost a football field's length down the meadow. A moment later, she raced back toward us. She had a large grin across her face.

"Great catch!" I said.

"Now it's my turn," Edward said.

"I'll hit it," I said.

"Don't underestimate it," Edward instructed me, "It's a powerful feeling. Keep the bat in your grip or it could go flying."

"Back up a bit, Nessie," I said, cautiously.

I made sure Nessie was a safe distance away before I started. I threw the ball into the air, then smacked it with the steel bat. The ball sped into the trees and Edward followed it.

"Did he get it?" Nessie asked me.

I waited a few moments and heard a small slapping sound.

"He got it," I said.

Edward appeared again a moment later.

Edward, Nessie and I took turns for the next thirty minutes. The storm was moving quickly, which surprised me.

"Storm's almost over," I said, "This will be the last turn. I want to get the ball."

Edward nodded and threw the ball into the air, then hit it with the baseball bat. I raced into the forest, knowing that is where the ball would end up. Time seemed to slow down and I heard a whooshing sound as the ball came closer to me. I saw the ball as it fell toward me and I then caught it with one hand. I grinned and was just about to go back to Edward and Nessie when I realized something was different.

I panicked slightly. Something was definitely wrong. The trees around me seemed much lighter in the dark night. A pale white light lit up the trees around me. I then realized what was going on, and I looked up in the sky. The moon was completely visible.

Suddenly, my nostrils flared, and I bared my fangs instinctively. A scent rushed toward me and it was nothing like I had ever smelled before. It was worse than what Jacob and his pack smelled like. Much worse.

"Oh, no," I whispered, "It can't be."

I sniffed the air again. My whole body shook. I knew what that scent had to be… because it was the only thing I wasn't used to:

Werewolves.

I sped off back to the meadow and reached Edward and Nessie.

"What took you so long?" Edward asked, "Couldn't find the ball?"

"We have a problem, Edward," I said, my voice shaking.

Edward's eyes widened and he sniffed the air. He growled, baring his fangs.

"We have to get back to the car," he said, "They'll outnumber us."

"How many are there?" I asked, picking up the steel bat.

"I don't know," Edward said, grabbing the deer antlers.

"What's going on, Mommy?" Nessie said.

I could feel the fear in her voice.

"We have to go, sweetheart," I said, "Now."

Edward, Nessie and I sped off through the forest. Suddenly, the scent got stronger. Could the werewolves already be close to us? What seemed like forever, took only a few minutes to reach the edge of the forest, but every second was terrifying. Would they find us? Would we be too late? Finally we reached the car and Edward quickly put the antlers, steel bat and baseball into the trunk.

"I can't believe you brought those antlers with you," I said, as Edward got into the driver's seat beside me.

"I wasn't going to let them take my prize," Edward said.

"They could have seen us!" I exclaimed.

"That's the problem," Edward said, starting the car, "They already did see us."

My eyes widened.

"What?" I asked, "You mean --"

"I don't think they know who we are," Edward said, "But they definitely know there are Vampires in Forks, Washington."

"But how do you know?" I asked, "You can't read their minds."

"I didn't," Edward said, staring at me.

"Then how can you be sure," I asked.

"Call it my sixth sense," Edward muttered.

---------------------------------------------------  
**Cliffhanger!**

Whew! I hoped the hunting was good enough. I wasn't exactly sure how to write that, but I definitely wanted some hunting in this chapter.

For the next chapter, I think I'm going to do a bit of a switch. You'll see what I mean then!

Feedback would be great!


	8. War Of The Name

**Chapter 8  
War of the Name**

**Author's Note: I'm not much of a fan of Jacob, but I need this for the story. This chapter starts about a couple hours before the last chapter ended.**

**Jacob's PoV**

Thunder boomed in the clouds miles from La Push, but I could still hear it as plainly as if it was a crack from a matador's bull-whip. A storm would be here soon. I groaned, cursing the storm clouds. Just perfect. I was planning another bonfire, and a storm would totally ruin it.

Shortly after my pack and I left the Cullen's house the previous night, I planned an emergency meeting. I needed to talk to the Elders and the pack all at once. I needed to tell the story, and I didn't want to repeat myself. The plan was simple. Announce a special bonfire party. Knowing Leah, she would invite that werewolf-imprint of hers.

Leah, of course, didn't know her new boyfriend was a werewolf, but she was about to get a big surprise. I would be foolish to allow Louis to roam freely around the Quileute lands. I would have to reveal him for what he was. I was the Alpha of my pack, and I was definitely not a foolish man.

I didn't tell anyone, not even Bella or the Cullens, but I felt that it was my job to deal with Louis Grayson. I felt as if he was a spy. A traitor to Leah. A traitor to the Quileute tribe who was beginning to trust him. The more and more I thought about it, I realized that this is what Louis' plan was all along. I knew then, and I felt foolish not to realize this before, that the werewolves knew exactly what the Quileutes were. Louis knew there was a chance that Leah could imprint on him, and he made sure that she laid her eyes on him.

I hoped that werewolves didn't know what the Cullens were, especially when it meant that it would put my friends in danger. If the werewolves found out there were vampires in the area, there would definitely be a war. People would get hurt. More normal, everyday humans would get hurt. I wouldn't let that happen in La Push. I wouldn't let it happen in Forks. I would have to do something about it.

But what? If what Bella told me was true, then only vampire venom could kill a werewolf. Hmmph. That figures. A vampire would have to save the day again. Well, I might not be able to kill the werewolves, but I definitely could hurt them. My mouth watered at the thought.

Hoping beyond hope that the thunder storm would only be a sound-and-light show, I gathered a bunch of logs and started the bonfire. As the fire started, I undressed, then tossed the clothes aside and phased into my wolfish form.

_Hello? _I said,_ Anyone there?_

Hey, Jake!

Yes, sir!

It was Seth and Embry. I grinned.

_Good. The emergency meeting is still on. I got a bonfire roaring. Embry, contact the rest of the pack and the Elders. Tell them to meet us in the field near my house. Seth, you find your sister. I want this done pronto guys! There may be rain coming._

What about Leah's boyfriend? Seth said.__

Invite him too.

But Jake --

Just do it! Oh and guys? Please show up in your human form. We don't want to scare Louis. Yet.

Yes, sir!

Good. Part one of the plan was in the works. I phased back into my human form and put my clothes back on.

"Thought I heard a fire going," my dad's familiar voice said.

I turned and noticed that Billy was rolling out of the house in his wheel-chair.

"Yep," Jacob said.

"Going to tell the pack about the werewolves?" Billy asked.

I narrowed my eyebrows. I hadn't told Billy about that.

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"Charlie," Billy said, simply.

Right. Charlie tells Billy anything. There were definitely pros and cons for being back in the good books with the Forks sheriff.

"Do you know about Leah's boyfriend?" I asked.

"What about him?" Billy asked.

I snorted. Billy hadn't heard everything then.

"He's a werewolf, Dad," I said.

"You let a damn werewolf roam my land!" Billy yelled.

"I didn't know he was a werewolf until Bella told me yesterday!" I retorted.

"I need to go tell Sue," Billy said, putting his hands on the wheels of his chair.

"No!" I said, quickly, "Not yet. Leah's bringing Louis over tonight. She can't know Louis' secret until I force it out of him."

"Be careful, boy," Billy said, "You don't know the stories of the werewolves."

"And you do?" I asked.

"I know a lot more than you think I do, son," Billy said.

"Right," I said, "And yet I find it funny that you didn't know about Louis."

"Watch your tone, boy!" Billy said, his voice rough, "You may be Alpha of your pack, but I'm still Alpha of the family."

I laughed silently. Right. Some Alpha he is. Last time I checked, he was the one in a wheelchair.

"You got company, Jacob," Billy said, nodding over my shoulder, "And please keep an eye on that bonfire of yours. I don't need my land burned to a damn crisp!"

I turned around. Embry, Quil and Paul, all in their human forms, were walking down the hill toward my house.

"The Elders can't come, Jake," Embry said, "I apologize, man. I tried everything."

I growled. Damn it. I felt my brilliant plan going down the toilet.

"Did you tell them it was urgent?" I asked, furious.

"I just said I tried everything, didn't I?!" Embry said, frightened.

"Calm down, it's all right," I said.

I rolled my eyes. Yeah, it was just fine. And I'm a vampire. Ha! I groaned. This was not going how I wanted it to go.

"I need to warn you," I said, "Tonight is going to get kind of rough."

"We're not frightened of some storm clouds, Jake," Paul said, laughing.

"I'm not talking about the damn storm!" I said, sighing.

As soon as I said that, I heard a thunder clap a few miles away.

"What's going on, Chief?" Quil asked.

"My friends," I said, "We have a traitor on our lands."

Quil and Paul looked at each other. Both looked confused.

"Leah's boyfriend is a werewolf," I said.

Cries of outrage broke out of Quil and Paul.

"Calm yourselves!" I said, "As your Alpha, I order you not to say anything to Leah. All right? I'll handle this myself. Leah doesn't know that her boyfriend is a werewolf. And we are going to let Louis tell her. Tonight."

"Why do you think he would do that?" Quil asked.

"Because if he doesn't," I said, "I will beat him to an inch of his life."

"Why can't we just kill him?" Paul asked, popping his knuckles audibly on each hand.

"Because there is only one way to kill a werewolf," I said.

"Which is?" Embry asked.

"Vampire venom," I said, shrugging.

Quil snorted, and Paul spat on the ground.

"So it leaves us defenseless?!" Paul demanded.

"I said we can't kill them, Paul," I said, "I didn't say we couldn't hurt them."

"Yeah," Embry said, "Is the skin around your skull that thick?!"

Quil laughed. Paul growled.

"Paul, stop it," I ordered, "Embry, leave him alone. Quil… just shut up."

"Guess who's here?!" I heard Seth's voice ring out.

I looked up the hill. Seth, Leah and Louis had arrived.

"Little red riding hood," Paul muttered, "And the big bad wolf."

Quil and Embry snickered.

"Boys," I warned, "Go tend to the fire. Now."

"You sure you can handle yourself?" Paul asked.

"What did I say, Paul?" I grumbled.

"Yes, your highness!" Paul said, in the middle of a mock-bow.

I rolled my eyes and straightened myself up.

"Welcome to the party!" I said to Seth, Leah and Louis.

"Excellent," Seth said, "Bonfire! Where's the marshmallows?!"

"How long is this party going to last?" Louis asked.

"Why?" I asked, in a taunting manner, "Afraid of the dark?"

Louis narrowed his eyes slightly, and I laughed.

"Jacob, be nice," Leah said, "Louis is just worried about the bad weather."

"Oh, yes," I said, "Of course, Louis, I'm sorry. Believe me, I wish it was a clear moonlit night too!"

I noticed that Louis avoided my eyesight.

"Er, Leah," he said, "We should get closer to the fire. It's getting kind of cold, eh?"

"Sure, Louis!" Leah said, awestruck.

I rolled my eyes. As Leah and Louis walked toward the fire, I saw Louis look over his shoulder at me. I grinned when I noticed he looked kind of worried.

"Hey, Louis!" Paul said, as I made my way over to the bonfire, "Are you hungry? I have some marshmallows and some S'mores. You know, I bet if I looked hard enough, I could find some moon pies too!"

Paul looked at me and grinned. I had to hand it to him. He could be funny when he wanted to.

"Marshmallow would be fine," Louis said, stiffly.

"So Leah," I said, "We missed you at Bella and Nessie's party yesterday. Where were you?"

"Louis and I decided to have a little fun of our own," Leah said.

Embry and Seth looked disgusted. Paul and Quil snorted. Leah rolled her eyes at them.

"You guys are so immature," she scowled.

Paul stuck out his tongue.

"So, Chief!" Embry asked me, "What's on the agenda tonight?"

"Well," I said, "I thought you guys would like to hear a little story first."

I turned and looked at our house.

"Hey, Dad!" I called.

A moment later, the front door opened. Billy wheeled out onto the porch.

"What do you want?" Billy asked, "I'm watching a game!"

"You know that story you mentioned to me briefly a little while ago?" I asked.

"Yeah," Billy said, suspiciously, "Why?"

"Can you tell us the story?" I asked, "I mean. I would tell it if I knew it. But like you said, I don't know everything."

"All right," Billy said, "Help me over near the fire."

I walked over to Billy and started pushing his chair toward the fire.

"So which one is he?" Billy whispered, under his breath.

I knew Billy was talking about Louis.

"The only one who isn't giving Leah her personal space," I muttered.

Louis had his arm around Leah. Leah looked thrilled.

"Aha," Billy whispered, nodding, "I hope you know what you're doing."

"Just don't mention werewolves until the last bit of your tale," I whispered.

I moved Billy to where the firelight was fixed on him.

"So," Billy said. "You know, tonight is a really good night for a tale. I just wish it was a little less cloudy. Would have really set the mood, you know."

I sighed. My dad really needed to learn how to be a little more cautious, and a little less obvious.

"I think most of you know," Billy said, "That one of the names for the Quileutes are 'people of the moon.' If you truly think about that name, then you might find it weird for a description for us. Like, you know, it doesn't really belong. Well, there is a good explanation for that. My story… is called the 'War of the Name.'"

Billy let the name settle into his audience's minds.

"You see, the Quileutes weren't always referred to as the 'people of the moon'," he said after a moment, "We had to earn that name. The former owners of the name were another tribe of natives. Most historians don't know of this tribe. They are of no relation to our tribe. The elders believe that their tribe is cousins of the Sioux Tribe, though I don't even expect most of the Sioux people know that."

I looked at Louis, who seemed immersed in the tale. I guessed that even he didn't know this story.

"By the end of the tale," Billy said, "You will know why very little is known about this tribe. The true name of the tribe is relatively unknown, and the Elders only refer to them now as the Migra, or in the common tongue, a migrant. These Migra were a powerful tribe. The Elders believed they were first formed under the bright moonlight, but of course that sounds a little silly if you think about it. But it would explain why they were once called the 'people of the moon'. The Quileutes of the olden times realized that the Migra had very similar qualities to their tribe. A select few of the Migra's tribe members were taller than their normal companions. They were also stronger and faster. Well, as you know, a few of the Quileutes were also taller, stronger and faster than their normal companions."

He smiled at me and my pack.

"Just like some of you are," he said, "This proves that there is truth in this tale. Remember that. It will be another useful tidbit of knowledge for the end of the story."

I noticed, then, that Billy was looking at Leah and Louis when he said this last bit.

"The Quileutes soon became afraid of the Migra tribe," he continued, "Their fear turned into jealousy. Their jealousy turned into anger. The Quileutes wanted to make sure no other tribe was like theirs. So, they went on a journey. They confronted the Migra tribe. The Quileutes, as you know, are a peaceful tribe. They tried to overcome their anger. When they met up with the Migra, they ordered the tribe to leave and never return. If they refused, the Quileutes would attack in three days. Three days passed, the Quileutes got no response. They returned to the Migra's tribe. When they arrived, there was only a few people left. The Migras that stayed said that their fellow tribe mates had indeed moved away. The few that were left were there to make sure the Quileutes never found out where the tribe went. Our descendants took this the wrong way of course. The leader, the strongest of the tribe, attacked the man who spoke up. He killed him instantly. The others were afraid. They begged to make a deal. They would tell the Quileutes where the tribe went, and if they promised that they would never harm the Migra tribe, they would get a very special gift. The Quileutes agreed. The gift they were given was the name: "the people of the moon". In exchange, the left-over Migras told them that the rest of the tribe moved overseas to what is now called Europe."

"What?!" Paul said, snorting, "You said it was a war! That doesn't sound like a war. Where is all the violence? Are you telling me there was only one victim in this war?!"

"Oh, there were more victims, Paul," Billy said, "You see, the Quileutes were vengeful. The remaining members of the Migra tribe were slaughtered as soon as they told the Quileutes where the others were."

"That's horrible!" Leah said, gasping, "We're a peaceful tribe."

"I know," Billy said, sadly.

"So what happened to the rest of the Migras?" Louis asked.

"The Quileutes never found them," Billy said, "The Elders believed they died out. But I believe that they flourished on and there are remnants of the old tribe still in the world."

"Dad," I said, "You said the Migra's true name was relatively unknown. Do you know it?"

"Oh, yes," Billy said, nodded, "The Migra's true name is… Remi Lunitari."

"What does that mean?" Seth asked.

"The rough translation is Moonwolf," Billy said.

"The common translation?" I asked, winking.

"Werewolf," Billy said, grinning.

Leah snorted.

"Werewolves aren't real!" she exclaimed.

"Have you been listening to Billy's story, Leah?" Seth asked, "Billy said it himself that the story he told us was true!"

"Seth," Leah scoffed, "Don't you think we'd know if there were werewolves in the world?"

"Leah's right," I said, though I was taunting her, "I mean… you would think there'd be some evidence, right? Perhaps some violent tales of murders, where the bodies were so damaged, they were unidentifiable?"

Leah stared at me. I knew she had heard about the news stories.

"Come on, Leah," Louis grunted, standing up, "Story is rubbish anyway. Whoever heard of Native Americans that moved to Europe? Everyone knows that this country belonged, and will always belong, to the Native Americans."

When Louis said this, a thought sparked in my mind. If the werewolves were Native Americans, why doesn't Louis look anything like an Indian?

Louis and Leah started walking away from the fire.

"Will you look at that?! Billy exclaimed, looking up at the sky and laughing, "My story must have scared the storm away!"

I looked towards the sky. The clouds were moving pretty quickly. Suddenly, everything got a bit lighter as the moon came into view. I watched as a ray of moonlight moved its way toward Leah and Louis. Suddenly, Louis stumbled, as the moonlight touched him.

"Louis?" Leah cried, "What's wrong?"

"No!" Seth said, "Leah! Get away!"

I didn't need Seth's exclamation to know what was happening. I immediately phased into a wolf, and felt my clothes tear away from me.

Damn! That was my good shirt too!

When I phased, I heard Louis scream. I watched in horror as he started shaking and growing right in front of my eyes. His whole body looked like it was sprouting away from the core of itself.

"Leah!" Seth yelled, "Run!"

Beside me, Seth leaped up and phased into a wolf mid-jump. He ran up to Leah, his paws barely touching the ground in his strides, and pushed her out of the way. Teeth bared, he stared at Louis, who was now completely transformed into a giant, hairy werewolf. I knew I couldn't let Seth get hurt. He was too busy defending his sister, that he might not have his full concentration on the beast in front of him.

Every one of my pack, besides me and Seth, were frozen with fright. I knew they hadn't expected this. They hadn't expected the size Louis would become… and neither did I. But I had to do something. I ran toward Louis and growled.

Louis turned. I saw his big, black, beady eyes staring at me. He roared and flecks of spit flew from his lips. Disgusting creature. I lunged at him, and Louis struck me quickly with his large paw. I flew into the air backwards and landed with a thud.

Damn! This was one strong pup! I definitely didn't expect an offensive attack so quick, especially from a beast of that size.

Seth growled. It was his turn now. He jumped on Louis, and, at first, I thought it had worked. Suddenly, Louis threw him into the air. Seth landed on the ground with a yelp. He didn't get back up.

"Seth!" Leah cried out.

Louis heard her. He turned to Leah and roared.

"Louis?" Leah asked, staring at her imprint, tears falling down her cheeks, "Louis, it's me. It's Leah. Don't you recognize me?"

Louis roared again, and I leapt up. I was dazed, but I still was able to get in between Leah and my foe. Suddenly, I heard the familiar sound of many people phasing. My fellow pack-mates around the bonfire had finally broken away from their fear. They ran up and surrounded Louis. All of them were now in their wolfish forms.

Louis turned his large head and looked at all of his foes. He whined and pushed his way through Embry and Quil and ran off toward the forest. Paul went to chase him, but I barked the order for him to stay back. When I made sure that Louis was gone, I phased back into my human self, as did the rest of my pack. Leah didn't care that there were a group of naked teenage boys near her. She only had tearful eyes for her brother, who was still in his wolf form.

"Seth?" she pleaded, rushing over to him, "Wake up!"

Seth stayed still for a moment. A long moment later, he whined, and blinked open his eyes. A collective sigh gathered around me. Seth staggered to his feet, then phased back into his human self.

"Oi!" Billy called by the fire, "Is he okay?"

"I think so," I said.

"Then how about you all get inside and get some clothes on, eh?" Billy said, "I don't need a group of naked guys on my land."

"What about Leah?" I asked.

"Don't worry, Jacob," Billy said, "I'll talk to Leah!"

I nodded and helped Seth into the house.

"Leah?" I heard Charlie say, "Can you help an old man into his house?"

"Hey, Jake," Paul said, as he and others followed me into my bedroom, "I'm sorry. I kind of didn't believe you were telling the truth about -- you know -- the werewolves."

"Yeah, yeah," I said, "Apologize later. Get some clothes on."

I had a rule with my pack. I kept some of their clothes at my house in case of emergencies like this. I found their clothes and handed them out.

"Are you okay, Seth?" I asked, after we got dressed.

Seth nodded.

"It's just," he said, "I didn't expect him to be so… strong!"

"I know!" Embry said, "Did you see the size of that sucker?!"

"Of course I did!" Seth said, "I got knocked out by it, didn't I?"

"All right, you guys," I said, "Meeting's over I guess. We did what I wanted us to do. Make sure you extinguish the fire before you go home. Seth, you can wait for Leah if you want."

Seth nodded, and I walked back into the front room. Billy was comforting Leah.

"Why does this always happen?" Leah said, tearfully, "I f-find a nice boy, and he t-turns out to be a m-monster. Of course, this time he really was a monster!"

Another sob escaped her lips.

"Shh," Billy soothed her, "I know."

"You don't understand," Leah said, "I'll never find someone like him again! He was my imprint. I'll be walking the world alone now! Forever!"

She sobbed again. I couldn't believe my eyes. When did Leah become a damn drama queen?!

"Damn, Leah!" I said, shocked, "Get yourself together!"

"Jacob Black!" Billy scolded me, "Don't you see how much she is hurting?"

"She's crying over spilled milk!" I said, "Dad, the 'love of her life' is a damn descendant of the Remi Lunitari tribe! Don't you see? She's fraternizing with our enemy!"

At that, a thought went through my mind. What would Bella and the Cullens say about this? The werewolves are indeed enemies of the Quileutes! Ha! Take that you bloodsuckers!

"J-Jacob's right," Leah said, wiping the tears from her eyes, "For once in his life, he's right."

Wow. I was speechless. This definitely wasn't the Leah I knew. What did romance do to her?

"Louis is going to pay for what he did to me!" Leah suddenly said, in an outrage.

I grinned. This was the Leah I knew. She walked over to the front door.

"Do you hear me, Louis Grayson?!" she said at the top of her voice, "If it kills me, I'll make sure you pay for breaking my heart!"

I rolled my eyes. She was still talking about romance. Yuck. Aw well. If that gets her mind on the right track, I was fine with it. It was very nice to have the old Leah back. Whatever that meant.

---------------------------------------  
**Chapter finished!**

Wow! This chapter turned out better than I thought! I loved the humor, and Jacob's attitude. What did you think about Billy's tale? Did I do all right?

I think next chapter will return to Bella's PoV.

Feedback would be great, as always!


	9. Revelation

**Chapter 9  
Revelation**

**Bella's PoV**

Inside the car, on our way back to the house, it was very silent. My head, however, was buzzing with thoughts and it was filled with fear. I stared out the window, afraid that if I turned away, a werewolf would come up to the car.

I kept thinking about what Edward had said. The werewolves didn't see who we were, but they definitely knew there were vampires in the area. Did they smell us? Perhaps that was the answer. Vampires do have a distinct smell to the shape-shifters. Maybe we have the same, or similar, scent to werewolves. Whatever it was, it wasn't going to change anything. Werewolves knew there were vampires in the area.

They would search for their true enemy, because that is why they exist. Werewolves are vampire exterminators, in a sense, and we are werewolf exterminators. I now knew my purpose in this world. This is one of the reasons both creatures exist. To equal the other out. Because if only one existed, that creature could take over the whole world. Their enemy is the only reason they don't have more power in the world.

A part of me wished that I had seen one of the werewolves. I had never seen a true werewolf before, and I wanted to know what they looked like. Knowledge makes you strong, and, at the moment, I felt like the weakest being in the world. Carlisle had told me what they looked like, but that didn't feel the same. Was there a difference in appearance between Jacob's pack and a true werewolf? What if Jacob came up to me in his wolf-form, and in my panic, I thought he was a werewolf and attacked him? On the other hand, what if a werewolf came, and I thought it was one of Jacob's pack and I didn't do anything?

I could imagine the dreams I would have tonight if I could sleep. Jacob visiting me then it turns out to be a werewolf. It was going to be another rough night.

A pounding noise broke me from my thoughts, and I looked over to see Edward banging his fist on the steering wheel.

"Daddy?" Nessie said, "What's wrong?"

"Edward!" I said, "Stop. You're scaring Nessie!"

"It's my fault," he said, "All my fault!"

"What is your fault?" I asked.

"I knew we shouldn't have come out so late," Edward said, "It's all because I wanted to play baseball. I'm so stupid!"

"Edward," I said, "You couldn't have possibly known!"

"You're wrong, Bella," Edward said, "Do you remember what Alice told us right before we left?"

I raised my eyebrows. What did Alice have to do with this?

"She said she had some interference with her visions," Edward said, "It wasn't because of Nessie at all! Those damn werewolves blocked her visions. Why didn't I see that before?"

"You couldn't have known," I repeated, "Look, it isn't just your fault. We didn't know that the storm would blow over."

"You don't get it," Edward said, "Do you? We were lucky, Bella. I praise the moonlight tonight. I'm happy for it."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Werewolves don't smell as bad in their human form," Edward said, "Not even as bad as humans do to us. That is why they are hard to recognize. They knew we were in the area. No, they didn't know who we were, but they still smelled vampires in the area. If the moonlight didn't show up, we would never have known they were in the woods. They would have known who we were then."

"Because Lyle had met us before," I realized.

Edward stared at me and nodded.

"Maybe it's my fault then," I said, "If I didn't go to my father's office, I wouldn't have met Lyle. We wouldn't have gone to the party."

"It's okay, Bella," Edward said, "We were very lucky tonight."

"So what do we do?" I asked.

"I don't know," Edward said, "The only thing I know is that Carlisle and the others have to know."

"Carlisle's going to want to leave Forks," I said, "Isn't he?"

Edward didn't answer.

"I can't leave Forks right now, Edward," I said, "We promised each other we would stay. For our family and our friends. Even if your family wants to leave, my father is going to want to stay. This is his town. He will want to make sure people are safe."

"We can't leave," Edward said, "Only vampires can kill werewolves. If we leave, we condemn Forks, La Push, and every other town near here. We'll be leaving the werewolves to do what ever they please."

"Do you think we're the reason the werewolves are here?" I asked, "Because the vampires and werewolves are true enemies, does that make us easier for them to find?"

"It's possible," Edward said, "We'll see what Carlisle thinks about that."

"Well, the good news is we have the upper hand," I said, "We know who the werewolves are, and we know where they live."

"Except that we don't know how many of the Graysons are werewolves," Edward said, "You know what will happen if we kill one and it turns out to be a human?"

I gulped. The Volturi would come back. But wait…?

"Maybe that wouldn't a bad idea," I said, voicing my thoughts, "Maybe the Volturi can help us."

"No, Bella," Edward said, "No matter what happens, I won't allow the Volturi to return to Forks."

"Fine," I said, sighing, "It was just a thought."

"It's a bad thought, Bella," Edward said, "We'd have to cross the line that we vowed never to cross."

"Not even as a last resort?" I asked.

"Not even then," Edward said.

"So you'd sacrifice everything to make sure the Volturi don't come back here?" I asked.

"The Volturi would deal a harder blow than the werewolves ever could," Edward said, "I thought even you would know that."

"I know," I said, sighing, "I just don't know how this predicament is going to end."

"I doubt even Alice could foresee that future," Edward said, grimly.

----------------------------------------------------------  
A few minutes later, we arrived at the house, and pulled into the garage. We walked into the house.

"Welcome back!" Emmett's voice boomed from the living room, "How did the hunt go?"

"How did my little runt do?" Alice asked, walking up to us.

"You can't call me a little runt anymore, Auntie Alice!" Nessie, said, giggling.

"I can't?" Alice said, gasping happily, "Does that mean…?"

"Tackled a big mommy bear," Nessie said, grinning, "Though it was too big for me. Daddy had to break her neck."

"Aw," Alice said, "I guess I have to call you my little hunter then!"

Nessie nodded.

"How did you two do?" Alice asked me and Edward.

I didn't answer.

"That bad?" Alice asked.

"Daddy got a big set of antlers!" Nessie said.

"He did!" Alice said, looking from Nessie to me and Edward, "Then why do you look so unhappy? Oh, was it not on a deer?"

"Where's Carlisle, Alice?" Edward asked.

"Still at the hospital," Alice said, "Busy night tonight. Why?"

"We encountered werewolves in the forest," Edward said, grimly.

Alice's eyes went wide.

"What?" she asked, "But I would have known --"

"I don't think you would have," Edward said, "Werewolves block my mind-reading ability. Don't you think they could mess up your foresight?"

"It's possible," Alice said.

"Did I hear someone mention werewolves?" Emmett asked.

Emmett, Jasper and Rosalie walked up to us.

"How did you know the werewolves were there?" Alice asked, "Did you see them?"

"Bella smelled them before I did," Edward said, "We wouldn't known they were there if the storm hadn't passed."

"That's right," Emmett said, "You can't smell werewolves in their human form. Lucky you got out of there, eh?"

"That's not the problem, Emmett," I said, frowning.

"What's wrong?" Rosalie said.

"They knew there were vampires in the woods," Edward said.

"They didn't see you, did they?" Jasper asked.

"No," Edward said, "They don't know who we are."

"Just what we are," I said, "And that's the problem."

Suddenly, my new cell-phone rang. Only three people knew the number. One was standing beside me. So it was either Jacob or Charlie. I took the phone out of my pocket and pressed "talk".

"Hello?" I said.

"Bella, you won't believe what just happened!" Jacob's voice said.

"Jacob?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said, "We had a bonfire party tonight. Louis Grayson came with Leah. Well, the moonlight reared its ugly head, and so did Louis."

"What?!" I asked, my eyes wide, "Louis --"

"Louis became a full-fledged werewolf!" Jacob said.

It sounded strange to hear Jacob so excited about this.

"Are you okay?" I asked, "Did anyone get hurt?"

"Just Leah's broken heart," Jacob said, "Oh, and Seth got knocked out, but he is okay."

"Where's Louis?" I asked.

"Ran off with his tail tucked between his legs," Jacob said, laughing, "But Bells, that isn't what I wanted to tell you. It turns out you were wrong about something. The Quileutes and the werewolves are true enemies as well!"

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Yeah!" Jacob said, "It turns out that the werewolves' descendants were Native Americans, called the Remi Lunitari. Which in the common tongue is --"

"Werewolf," I said.

"Right!" Jacob said, "Well, back in the olden days before even our great-grandparents were born, the Quileutes scared the hell out of the Remi Lunitari and they tucked their tails and ran off to Europe."

My eyebrows raised. The Graysons are European.

"But they're back," Jacob said, "At least their descendants are. I think they are here because they wanted to get their revenge on my tribe!"

"So they didn't know there were vampires in the area at first," I said, in realization.

"What are you talking about?" Jacob asked.

"Edward, Nessie and I went hunting tonight," I said, "We err… sort of ran into werewolves."

"What?!" Jacob asked, "Are you okay? Is Nessie --"

"We're all fine, Jake," I said, "They didn't see us."

I heard Jacob sigh.

"Thank goodness," he said, relieved, "Wait. You said 'they didn't know vampires were here _at first_'. What do you mean?"

"Edward thinks," I said, "that the werewolves now know there are vampires in Forks."

"Well, this is perfect then!" Jacob said, "Right? I mean… we can totally outnumber them! They have no idea that their two true enemies are in cahoots!"

"Jacob," I said, "You can't kill them, remember?"

"You think I don't know that?!" Jacob said, "Didn't you hear me when I said I encountered a fully-fledged werewolf? He may have turned tail and ran, but he kicked our butts in the process! Louis may be a pup, but he is a strong one! We're lucky the only real injury is Leah's broken heart."

"Poor Leah," I said, "Is she okay?"

"She's better than okay!" Jacob said, laughing, "She's vowed revenge on her ex-imprint! Damn girl is a drama queen, though, I'm telling you! She's been on a rampage of emotions ever since the incident. I had to leave the house just so I could be able to talk to you. I wouldn't be able to hear anything other then her if I didn't!"

"You can't let her do anything stupid, Jacob," I said, "Revenge, grief and a broken heart are an ugly combination. Promise me you'll watch her. Don't let her go off on her own, Jake!"

"All right, all right!" Jacob said, "If I have to, I'll order her to stay put. I'm her Alpha."

"That doesn't always work, Jacob," I said, "You were able to refuse the orders of Sam, remember?"

"Fine," Jacob said, sighing, "I'll watch her."

"Good," I said, "I need to go. Things are hectic around here too."

"I'll talk to you later, Bells," Jacob said, "Say hi to Nessie for me!"

"I will," I said, "See you."

I turned off the phone.

"What was that all about?" Edward asked.

"We weren't the only one who encountered a werewolf tonight," I said, "Louis transformed at Jacob's bonfire."

"What?" Edward asked, "Is everyone okay?"

"Other than a few bruises and Leah's broken heart," I said, "Yeah."

"Edward," Emmett said, "How many werewolves do you think were in the forest tonight?"

"From the smell," Edward said, "At least three. Why?"

"You know what this means, then?" Emmett said, "If Louis was at Jacob's place, then the three werewolves you encountered were --"

"I see what you mean," Edward said, "It looks like we were right to assume there were more werewolves in the Grayson family then just Louis and his father."

"Does this mean that the whole family are werewolves?" I asked.

"The chances are high, Bella," Emmett said, "Especially if Lyle's wife was one of the wolves in the forest tonight."

"Jacob mentioned something else," I said, "He said that the werewolves are descendants of an old Native American tribe."

"The Remi Lunitari," Carlisle's voice said.

I turned around. Carlisle and Esme were standing at the front door.

"You knew?" I asked.

"I had a feeling," Carlisle said.

"But you said that the shape-shifters aren't true enemies of the werewolves," I said.

"At the time, I didn't think they were," Carlisle said, "The Remi Lunitari were thought to have died out. But it seems they were able to flourish in Europe."

"The Graysons have European accents," I said, nodding, "So the werewolves didn't come here because they discovered there were vampires in the area?"

"It seems so," Carlisle said, "The Quileutes and the Remi Lunitari have an old hatred for each other. It seems Lyle Grayson is very wise when it comes to the stories of his descendants. Very loyal too. Doesn't it seem like a one-in-a-million chance that werewolves would show up in the same place as vampires without knowing it?"

"Yeah," I said.

"It's because they came searching for the descendants of their enemies," Carlisle said, "Their other enemies I mean."

"The Quileutes" I said, "And they found them."

Carlisle nodded.

"Wait a moment," Emmett said, "Something doesn't make sense. I've heard bits and pieces of the Remi Lunitari story. The Quileute tribe was able to kill a few of the Remi Lunitari."

"The messengers weren't werewolves," Carlisle said, "Otherwise the Quileutes wouldn't have survived."

"Heh," Jasper said, shaking his head, "Just like those damn werewolves to sacrifice the weaker link. They must have known all along that the Quileutes would have killed the messengers."

"They counted on it," Carlisle said, "Quileutes are commonly known as a peaceful tribe. When they confronted the Remi Lunitari the first time, they asked them to leave, but didn't attack them. The Remi Lunitari had made a vow to leave the other tribes alone until they were attacked. The Remi Lunitari left, but the Quileutes still killed the messengers. The Quileutes won't admit it, but they started the war between the shape-shifters and the werewolves. They didn't know what the werewolves were, at first. Only that they could turn into wolves. Well, they couldn't let that continue, especially when the other tribe was much stronger than the Quileutes."

"Survival of the fittest at its best," Emmett said.

"Right," Carlisle said, nodding, "Now it seems the Remi Lunitari have finally come back to get their revenge, and to once and for all end the war that has gone on for many centuries. This war, in fact, is the longest war in the history of our world. Even if the bloodshed ceased for a long time, there was no treaty to end the war."

"The Quileutes will have no chance," I said, "They'll get slaughtered unless we do something."

"I agree," Carlisle said, "The Quileutes helped us in our time of need when we could have been slaughtered by the Volturi. Now it is time to repay that."

"This time I don't see the same outcome," Emmett said, "Revenge makes a man do things he never dreamed of. There won't be a peace treaty this time."

"There is some good news this time," Edward said, "At least our enemy doesn't outnumber us when we combine our forces with the Quileutes."

"Do you hear yourselves?!" Esme finally spoke up, "We're not dealing with ruthless Volturi this time! We're dealing with a family of werewolves! A family! The Graysons have small children, Carlisle."

"They could be werewolves, honey," Carlisle said,

"Well, I won't be a part of it, Carlisle!" Esme said, "The children didn't choose to become werewolves!"

"They are what they are," Carlisle said.

Esme shook her head and walked off out of the room. Carlisle sighed. I could tell from the expression on his face that he didn't like this any more than his wife did. I didn't like it either, but if I had to choose between my daughter, family, and friends, and the werewolves, I wouldn't even give a second to think about it. The werewolves would have to leave or die. And it didn't look like they were going to leave.

------------------------------------------  
**Chapter Finished!**

I apologize for how short this chapter is. But I got everything I needed into it. This story keeps getting better and better, doesn't it? I think so too!

Feedback would be great!****


	10. Why Me?

**Chapter 10  
Why Me?**

**Leah's PoV**

_"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." - Anonymous_

That little punk was going to get it. No one, and I mean no one, breaks Leah Clearwater's heart and gets away with it. And what is worse, he used me! I was a puppet in the Grayson family's master plan! And I fell for it.

The worse thing, out of everything else, is that I had feelings for the smelly fur-ball. I thought I had finally found my imprint. Before Louis came around, I thought the concept of an imprint was stupid. An easy way for shape-shifters to find their mate. That wasn't love at all. That was… cheating!

But then I saw Louis Grayson in the shopping center in Forks, and I fell in love. He was one of most handsome boys I had ever laid eyes on. One of the most beautiful souls to ever walk this earth. Definitely a lot better looking than those smelly, immature adolescents in La Push. And what was better is that he actually liked me! He didn't see me as just a pretty face! He didn't see me for just my body. Not like those idiot pups in my pack. He really had feelings for me.

Or I thought he did.

I felt violated. To make it worse, I had almost given myself to him. Because I am a she-wolf, my female urges are heightened ten-fold. I felt giddy around Louis Grayson. Only a few more days, and I would have been all his. I would have been his girl. I would have done anything for him, and anything he asked me to.

Yuck.

After I had discovered what Louis Grayson really was, it didn't take very long to realize what was going on. And I didn't need "Jacob Black: Alpha Pup" screaming in my ear to realize it either. I didn't find Louis in that shopping center that very first fateful day. Louis found me. He made sure that I had seen him. He made sure that I would fall in love with him. My inner wolf had fallen for his inner wolf. We were connected.  
And now the thought of it disgusted me.

The only happy thought, was that I realized that because of this, that perhaps Louis Grayson wasn't my imprint. Maybe I just thought he was, because I fell for him and had never had those feelings for another boy before. Never.

For weeks on end, I thought I was one of those girls who were attracted to the same gender. The idea alone disgusted me. That whole concept was basically forbidden in my tribe. Especially for a shape-shifter. Shape-shifters were meant to find a mate of the opposite gender to continue the line, and breed the next generation of shape-shifters. Yeah. My destiny in this world was to be the mother of the next generation of smelly, adolescent, immature pups. One way or the other, I was destined to be used.

Like a filthy, dirty washrag.

Why me? Huh? Why was I the only wolf in my pack to fall in love with another wolf? To make it worse, that wolf turned out to be a werewolf: a disgusting monster and the enemy of my tribe! Was it because I was the only she-wolf in the pack? Was I doomed to be different? Why couldn't I have fallen in love with a human? Why couldn't I be the one who would fall in love with someone who, in turn, would be so in love with me that they wouldn't care that I was some kind of freak? I would have even been fine if my imprint was currently a smelly little toddler and I'd have to wait years for them to realize they were in love with me.

But no. I had to fall in love with a werewolf!

Quil's imprint was a toddler, and the only way he could spend time with Claire was if he played babysitter. He would have to wait years for Claire to grow up and fall in love with him.

Jacob Black's imprint was the spawn of a vampire and who knew what else! It was true, that little bloodsucker had grown on me, and not just in size. She was a cute little runt. But she was destined to be Jacob's no matter how her Daddy hated it. That love story was written before Nessie was even born. Because of Nessie's condition, she would reach her peak age in just a few years. Jacob wouldn't have to wait very long at all.

Lucky Jacob. Lucky Quil. Cursed Leah.

---------------------------------------

After my little crying fit at Jacob Black's house, it was time for me to go home. Of course, I wasn't going to be alone on my little journey. Seth, my dear brother, would be escorting me home. But he wouldn't be the only one.

During my crying fit, Jacob had called his little bloodsucker friend and told her everything that had happened. He even had the nerve to call me a damn drama queen!

Remind me why I am still in this pack. Please?

Well, in the end, it seems Bella promised Jacob to make sure I wouldn't do anything foolish. Right. Thanks, Bella. You're a good friend.

And I'm the queen of England.

Jacob escorted me and Seth home. He even came up with the dumb excuse of having to explain to my dear mother what had happened because "his dear old made him promise." Right. I'd like to tell his "dear old dad" what his brat thinks of him.

"Quite a night, wasn't it?" Seth asked, as he, Jacob and I made our way up the road, "We'll be talking about this party for years. Too bad the Elders couldn't come."

"Turned out better than I planned," Jacob said.

I stopped in my tracks. Hang on one moment. Something didn't smell right.

"Wait," I said, "What do you mean you planned this?"

"Oops," I heard Seth mutter.

"You knew," I realized.

"Leah," Seth said.

"You knew Louis was a werewolf?" I asked, "Didn't you? Oh, my gosh. All these jokes about the weather and the moon pies."

"In my defense," Jacob said, "That was Paul who brought up the moon pies."

"Billy's story," I said, "It wasn't a damn coincidence that his story had to do with werewolves, was it, Jake?"

"I liked that story," Seth said.

"Shut up, Seth," I said, staring at Jacob.

Everything made sense now.

"It's your fault!" I accused Jacob, my fury building up inside me.

"It wasn't my fault the bloody beast transformed!" Jacob said, "I didn't plan on the moonlight showing up! Look, Leah, my plan was to scare Louis into telling you what he was. I didn't plan on him transforming!"

"You knew and you didn't tell me what he was!" I screamed, "Did you know, Seth? Huh?"

"I sort of knew," Seth said, in a small voice.

"Oh, really?" I said, "And what if Louis didn't reveal his secret. Were you just going to let me hang around with him until he decided he was done with me?"

"No!" Jacob said, "I would have beat him to a bloody pulp before I let him touch you."

A disgusted expression formed on his face.

"He -- err -- didn't touch you, did he?" he asked.

"Go to hell, Jacob Black," I growled.

"Hey," Jacob said, "Is that anyway to talk to the man who just saved you and your brother's life?"

My fury exploded.

"Man?" I screamed, "Man! You think you're a man, do you? You listen here, Black. You are an immature little pup! The only reason you're Alpha of this pack is because of your grandfather. Sam was right all along."

I could have punched Jacob then and there. But I owed Jacob. He was right about one thing. He did save me and Seth. Because of that, I owed him. I started walking off down the road.

"Leah!" Seth called after me, "Wait up! Don't go alone! We're supposed to go home together!"

"I'm not going home right now, Seth!" I said, turning around, "Don't follow me. That means you too, Jacob. I get one wrong sniff. Just one little inkling, and you will regret it!"

I phased, feeling my clothes rip away from me as I turned into a wolf. I didn't care. I ran off into the woods, not caring where I went.

_Leah? _Seth's voice called out.

_Go away, Seth! _I growled.

_Leah, I'm sorry. Please don't do anything foolish._

Go home, Seth!

You ruined your favorite jeans, you know.

I don't care! Silence. I thought Seth had broken the connection. Then…  
_  
I'll see you later, then. Don't worry. I won't tell Mom where you went. I'll just tell her it's that time of the month, eh? She'll believe me. You always get moody around that time._

I growled and broke the connection with Seth. I was alone again, but I didn't care. I ran through the woods, ignoring my surroundings. It was just me and my thoughts. I grinned at the sounds of scampering rodents and screeching birds as they ran away from my fearsome strides. I felt free. I felt good. At that moment, I was queen of the forest. Most fearsome being to roam the land. No one out here to use me as their puppet. No one out here to taunt me. No one to try to make a move on me when they knew they didn't have a chance in the world.

And yet… I wish I wasn't alone. I wish I felt loved again.

Not just parental love. My mother loved me because she had to. She loved me because she had nobody else in the world anymore besides me and my brother. She loved me because if she didn't, she knew she'd go insane. And I loved her because I didn't want her to go insane. We needed to love each other. But that wasn't my kind of love.

I didn't want the love of a friend either. Especially not from friends who could betray me at any moment. Friends who felt they had to lie to me because I couldn't take it, or because it would make their plans in life work out for the best. Who needed friends if they were just going to hurt you?

I didn't.

I needed real love. The kind I could touch and could touch me back. The kind I had pleasant dreams and exciting fantasies about. I needed Louis. Or at least someone who was exactly like Louis in every similarity except one. The most obvious one. I needed someone who would treat me for who I was, and wouldn't turn out to be a monster, literally or figuratively.

At the thought of Louis, those big, black beady eyes came into my mind. I came to a screeching halt in the middle of that dark forest. Did I imagine those eyes. Or were they near? The thought scared me and excited me at the same time. Could Louis be near?

Suddenly, wonderful thoughts came into my mind. Perhaps this was all a dream. Perhaps I had dreamed the last few hours. Maybe Louis wasn't a werewolf. Maybe he was that same, extraordinary man I had fallen in love with. Because he definitely wasn't a boy. He may have looked like a boy in appearance, but every boy I knew was a immature, disgusting jerk. Louis was far from that. He was perfect. He couldn't have been a werewolf.

Because my perfect man wasn't a werewolf. He was a prince. He lived in a lovely castle, surrounded by beautiful trees and breathtaking landscape. My prince loved me, and cherished me. He made me feel like the most beautiful person in the world: a princess in a real-life fairytale. I was his beauty, and if he was a beast, it was only because of a curse. A curse I would break, and then we could live happily ever after.

I needed those eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes, so dark they were almost black. I needed them to pierce into my soul. I needed that warm embrace. Without that love, I didn't feel warm anymore. I felt cold. As cold as a bloodsucker. I needed to feel warm again. There only one feeling that would do it.

My feet took off, as if I didn't control them. They led me deeper into the forest and I realized I was miles from home. I was probably out of La Push by now. Closer to Forks.

Closer to him.

Suddenly, my feet stopped. They wouldn't move another inch. I was frozen. I didn't know whether it was because of fear, or something else.

Then I heard it. A few yards away, I heard the sound of bushes moving. Was it just a rabbit? Or was it something else? A different noise made my fur stand on end. It was a growl. Not a animalistic growl either. A human growl. Someone had found me. I cursed the fact that I didn't bring my clothes with me. If I phased back into my human self, I'd be bare naked. Open to the elements, and whatever else this black pit of a forest I was in had in store for me.

I was about to run, but my feet wouldn't let me. Suddenly, I saw him.

My prince.

Louis emerged from behind a tree and was staring right at me. It was dark, but my wolfish eyes could see him clear as if we were standing in daylight.

"Well, hello little friend," Louis said in his wonderful, soothing voice, "Stray from your pack?"

I couldn't believe it. He was talking to me like I was a baby. Or did he not realize who I actually was? Did he think he was talking to a wolf? Or was he trying to trick me, and he knew who I was. I growled at my feet, wishing they would let me run.

"Oh, you're scared," Louis said, "I'm sorry. Don't worry, I'm friendly. Let's just say… I know what it's like to be you."

Ha. Nice way of saying you're a werewolf, Louis.

"Though, I wish I didn't," Louis said.

Huh? Okay, now I was confused. I stared at him, while he sat up against a tree stump.

"I upset a friend of mine tonight," Louis said, "I didn't want to."

I realized he was talking about me.

"I didn't even want to be her friend at first," Louis said, "But I got close to her. It felt really nice to be around her. You know, I think I was almost in love with her."

This wasn't helping my broken heart. I whined at the pain.

"Have you been in love before too, girl?" Louis asked, "Did the wolf of your dreams break your heart?"

You could say that.

"Look at me," Louis scoffed, "I must be going crazy. I'm talking to a wolf, expecting her to be able to respond. Must be the wolf inside me, I guess."

I growled. I wished he would stop talking about the wolf inside him. It angered me.

"Yeah, girl," Louis said, "You heard me right. I'm a wolf. A werewolf. There I said it someone. You aren't the girl I wanted to say it too, but I guess you'll do."

Louis stared at me.

"You are a beautiful creature," he said, "Aren't you?"

I couldn't believe it! Louis was hitting on me!

"You have pretty eyes," Louis said, "They kind of look like --"

Uh-oh. Come on, feet. Now is your time to move!

"Wait a second," Louis said, slowly, "Nah, it couldn't be."

I sighed.

"Leah?" Louis asked.

I whined. I was trapped. What was I going to do? I was too frightened to go anywhere. Maybe I could fight him off. He wasn't a werewolf… at the moment. I looked up in the sky. The clouds had returned and were pretty thick. Maybe there was a chance. But I couldn't move. Unless…

I gulped. It was the only way. Here goes nothing. I phased back into my human form and stood up. I was extremely aware that I was completely naked in front of my ex-boyfriend.

"Leah!" Louis said.

"Surprised to see me?" I asked.

"Er… yeah!" Louis said, his face red with embarrassment.

If I was going to survive this, I had to make it sound like I was still in love with Louis. Which was pretty easy, now that I thought about it. Because I was still in love with him. A part of him. The part that didn't want to kill me. I decided to use that for my benefit. I was going to have to use my girlish figure this time.

"What's wrong?" I asked, in a flirty manner, "Oh. Yeah. I forgot to bring my clothes with me. Sorry."

"Happens to me a lot too," Louis said, "Why didn't you tell me you were a werewolf?"

Because I'm not.

"Why didn't you?" I retorted.

"I thought I just did," Louis said.

"That doesn't count," I said, "You thought I was a normal wolf. Or did you?"

"Wh-what do you mean?" Louis stuttered.

I rolled my eyes.

"Well," I said, "For one, you called me by my name. I hadn't revealed myself yet, had I?"

"Right," Louis said.

"You know all along I was a shape-shifter," I said, "Didn't you?"

"No," Louis said, "I mean, my Dad--"

"Don't lie, Louis," I said, "I know exactly what you are, and what you are descendants of. I was there when Billy told the story too, remember?!"

"I'm sorry," Louis said.

"Sorry?" I asked, "How could you do this to me, Louis? I loved you! And you used me."

"Wait," Louis said, "You love me?"

"Loved, Louis," I growled, "As in not any more!"

Louis frowned.

"You're the first boy I've ever loved," I said, "I thought you were different. I thought you were better than those boys in my tribe. But I was wrong. You're worse! There saints compared to you!"

"Because I didn't tell you I'm a werewolf?" Louis asked, "Come on, Leah. We're supposed to be enemies! You're Quileute. I'm Remi Lunitari!"

"I didn't know about that story until tonight," I said, "And I didn't know what you were!"

"I wanted to tell you!" Louis said, "I don't like what I am! You think I have a choice? You think I like being a -- a monster? You think I like the fact that my father, my mother and my brothers and sisters are monsters?"

"You're a murderer," I growled.

Louis narrowed his eyes.

"I wish you hadn't said that," he said.

My instincts told me to phase, and I did. Louis came running toward me. Was he crazy? He knew he had no match against me. Especially when I was the one in wolf-form!

I ran at him, teeth bared, and pounced. He ducked and rolled out of the way, just before I landed. Damn! He was fast, even in his human form! I turned and ran at him.

"I don't want to hurt you!" he said.

Right. I wasn't going to believe that.

I jumped and Louis ducked again. Before I knew it, I hit head-first in a large oak tree. I fell to the ground, dazed. Through my blurred vision, I saw Louis walk over to me. He frowned and kicked me in the head. All I saw next was darkness.

----------------------------------------------  
When I came to, my head throbbed. It felt like a ton of boulders had fallen on me. I opened my eyes, and was blinded by a bright light. Was I unconscious all night? I shook my head to get my vision back and I quickly realized something was wrong. This light was too bright to be daylight. My eyesight came back to me completely, and I realized in horror I was in a small room. I was laying on a stone floor, and the walls around me were brick. As I got to my feet, I realized I was higher off the ground. I looked at myself, and realized I was back to my naked human-self again. Sometime during my unconsciousness, I had phased back.

I then tried to remember what had happened, and it all came back to me in a sudden wave. I had been roaming in the forest as a wolf when Louis had found me. At first he had realized I was a wolf, until he called me by my name, and I foolishly phased back into a human. I didn't run, like I should have, and instead talked to Louis. Maybe I had hoped to find a way to forgive him. Whatever happened, I realized he seemed threatened by me. I had phased back into a wolf and fought him. And I lost.

Louis must have carried me back to his house. That had to be where I was. Bile raised up my throat and I fought back the urge to vomit. What had I gotten myself into? Why didn't I stay with Louis and Seth? Why had I run off and gotten in this little predicament. No. A big predicament. Maybe Seth would realize I didn't come back and he would get the pack to search for me. When they couldn't find me, would they realize what must have happened.

I could picture Seth upset, wondering if I was dead or alive. I could imagine Jacob, and for one horrible moment, I could picture him worrying about me. Not as just a pack-mate, either. Before Jacob had found Nessie and imprinted on her, he was in love with Bella. But I also knew that he was in love with me as well. He just wouldn't admit it, because he was fawning over Bella, no matter how impossible his fantasy had become. For one horrible moment, I wanted to see Jacob come into this room and rescue me. I wanted to see him. If he rescued me at that moment, I would possibly proclaim my love for him.

Or not.

I looked around the room for a way out, and realized there was only one exit. A large metal door. I ran over to it, and tried to force it open but it wouldn't budge.

Trapped.

It was only then when I noticed there was something near the door. A pile of clothes and a plate of food. I wasn't hungry, at least for what my kidnappers had offered me. But I grabbed the clothes. There was everything from undergarments to a shirt and (I growled in disgust) a pink dress.

Yuck.

I started putting everything on. I definitely wasn't going to stand in this room naked. Who know what was going to come through that door? The bra was a little big for me, and the shirt was a bit too tight, but at least it was something. After a few moments of debating with myself, I put on the dress. Other than the color, it was pretty nice. It was only then that I hoped even Jacob wouldn't come through that door. He'd never stop laughing at me if he did.

Suddenly, the door opened, and for a split second, a wonderful second, I thought Jacob had come to rescue me. It wasn't Jacob. It wasn't even Louis. It was Lyle Grayson. I'd only met this guy once: a couple days ago at his party. Lyle shut the door and looked at me. I couldn't move again. Fear had won me over again.

"Miss Clearwater, isn't it?" Lyle said.

I didn't answer.

"You and your friends upset my boy tonight," Lyle said.

So it was still sometime during the night.

"Louis tells me that your friends joked around with him," Lyle said, "Teased him."

"Last time I checked," I said, "Talking about the weather wasn't teasing."

"She speaks!" Lyle said, laughing.

I rolled my eyes.

"Louis also tells me," Lyle said, "That he actually had fun too. Your friend's father told him a story. Do you remember any of it?"

"I think you know exactly what the story was," I growled.

"That's true," Lyle said, "I do know."

"I suppose you're going to tell me," I said, "That everything Billy Black said was a lie."

"Oh, it was the truth," Lyle said, "Your descendants killed some of mine. That is very true."

I growled.

"Get on with it!" I said, "What do you want with me?"

"Ah, yes," Lyle said, "I was hoping you would help me with something. You see, I know how much you love your tribe. I know how much you don't want them to get hurt. I sympathize that. So, I promise I will leave your tribe alone if you tell me one thing."

"Which is?" I asked.

"Where are the vampires currently residing?" Lyle asked.

So that's what this is all about. The Vampires. I tried to keep my face straight.

"Vampires?" I asked, in a shocked tone, "There's no such thing!"

"I assure you there is," Lyle said, "And I think you knew that already. So I would like you to tell me where they are."

"I don't know any vampires!" I snorted.

"Hmm," Lyle said, "That wasn't exactly the answer I was looking for. I'll let you think about my question for a while. Then I'll be back, and for your sake, I hope your answer is different."

Lyle left with inhuman speed and shut the door before I could even move. I growled. I had to get out of here. I had to warn the vampires. But how? From where I was standing it looked like there wasn't any way out.

Why me?

-------------------------------------------  
**Chapter finished!**

Well, that was better than I expected. When I thought of doing a chapter with Leah's PoV, I didn't think it was going to be too exciting, but I liked how I played out her attitude.

More to come soon! Feedback would be awesome!


	11. Don't Kill The Messenger!

**Chapter 11  
Don't Kill The Messenger!**

**Author's Note: A few reviewers have given me questions I need to answer. First of all, some of the content I did in Leah's PoV may have been out of what Stephanie Meyer had in mind. I forgot some of the stuff with Leah, like she was in love with Sam for a while. I'm trying to keep this canon as much as possible, but sometimes it is hard, especially since I only read the whole series once. I'll try my best. Another reviewer asked if I could do Edward's PoV. At the moment, I don't know, but maybe for future chapters. Thanks for all your wonderful comments so far. I really liked them. This chapter will be in two PoVs.**

**Jacob's PoV**

It was a very restless night. I hadn't told my father that Leah had run off before I could escort her back to her mother's house. Seth must have told his mother that Leah would be home shortly, and she must have believed him, because we hadn't received a call from her all night. We hadn't received any calls at all. Billy assumed everything was fine and dandy, and he wheeled off into his bedroom shortly after I returned to the house.

I was feeling very tired, but I couldn't sleep. I was, surprisingly enough, worried about Leah. Why had she run off like that? Didn't she realized that we had done a favor for her?! That werewolf would have torn her to pieces if I hadn't saved her! And if Louis hadn't transformed tonight… I don't know what I would have done. Leah wasn't going to believe that werewolves existed, and she definitely wasn't going to believe Louis was a werewolf. No. Everything that happened tonight needed to happen.

So why had Leah run off? And where did she go? Seth or Leah would have contacted me if she came back home. So she might still be out running around. But where? Should I go look for her? Would she attack me if I tried to find her?

Bah! She wanted to be left alone. Let her run off that steam. I didn't care.

Or did I?

To be honest, I did care. I cared enough to phase in and out countless times during the night, hoping Seth or Leah would contact me someway: be it telephone or mind connection. I was stark naked throughout the whole night. It was embarrassing, but at least I was in the privacy of my own home. It was better than wasting a bunch of clothes just because I felt the need to phase every few minutes hoping for some contact. Even a "hey dude! What's up!" would have been nice. Even a threat would have been nice.

In my human form, I switched through channels. I couldn't find much. Late-night talk shows and comedy shows. We don't have much in the way of a cable connection out here in La Push, and satellite television is almost worthless with the weather we get around here. So it was very boring. I almost wanted to go to sleep to pass the time.

In fact I did.  
-------------------------------------

I woke up at the sound of a telephone call. I shook myself awake and cursed silently at myself for sleeping, then picked up the telephone.

"H-hello?" I asked, yawning.

"Jacob!" Seth's voice said, "Thank god! Where've you been? I've been trying to contact you for an hour. I almost decided to go to your house and force open the door."

"I fell asleep, Seth," I said, "What time is it?

"Five in the morning," Seth said, "That's not important. Jake. We have a problem."

"What?" I asked, wide awake now, "Leah? Where is she?"

"That's the problem," Seth said.

"Seth, just say it!" I said, through my teeth, holding back a curse.

"Leah's been dog-napped," Seth said.

I almost dropped the phone.

"What?!" I asked out loud, "How do you know?!"

"She met Louis in the forest halfway between here and Forks," Seth said.

"But… how do you know?" I asked.

"Louis is here," Seth said, "Mom doesn't know. She's still asleep. Louis came to my window."

"What does he want?!" I asked.

"I'll give him the phone," Seth said, "Hang on a moment."

Pause.

"Hello?" Louis' unmistakably European accent said.

"Louis," I growled, "Where is she, you son of a --"

"Whoa, doggy!" Louis interrupted, "Hang on a moment."

"You tell me where she is," I said, "Or I swear to --"

"She's at my house," Louis said.

"Your house?" I asked, "Why would she be there?"

"Because she met with me in the forest," Louis said, "Didn't you hear anything your mutt-friend told you?"

"You kidnapped her?" I asked.

"Look, mate," Louis said, "I didn't want to do it."

"Then let her go!" I said.

"I can't!" Louis said, "My father has her."

"What do you mean 'he has her'?" I asked.

"Jake, you can be so dumb sometimes," Louis said, "Look. Leah's in our cellar at the house. Don't worry, we're treating her well."

"You better!" I growled, "One hair off her head and it will be your head!"

"Didn't I tell you I don't want to hurt her?!" Louis asked, "Look, I want Leah to go home as much as you do. That's why I need your help."

"Why would I want to help you?" I asked.

"Because my father wants to kill your tribe and your vampire friends," Louis said.

"Vampire friends?" I asked.

"So you do know the vampires," Louis said.

"I didn't say that," I growled.

"Yes, you did," Louis said, "Look. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Right," I said, "Like you hurt those people and their pets?"

"That wasn't me!" Louis said, "That was my parents! You must understand. I am like the outsider in my family. I don't want to be a werewolf. I don't want to be a murderer. I just want to be normal. I want to have a normal life. I want to have a normal family. Well, as normal as we can get."

"I know what this is about!" I said, "You love Leah, you son of a --"

"Yes, Jake," Louis said, "I love her. More than anything. She is the most beautiful girl I've ever met."

I scoffed.

"I can't believe you don't see that," Louis said, "You've been her mate forever."

"I'm not her mate!" I growled.

"Her friend, Jake," Louis said, "Her friend. That's what I meant."

"Oh," I said, "So get on with it. What do you want me to do about it?"

"I want you to rescue Leah," Louis said, "Look, I'll help. When it is my time to guard the cellar, I'll help get her out."

"Your father will know it was you," I said.

"You think I don't know that," Louis said, "That is what this is about. I want my family to stop what they're doing. They don't need to kill anyone else. I want to help you get rid of them."

"You mean kill them?" I asked, shocked.

I heard an audible sigh come from Louis.

"They are still my family, mate," he said.

"I'm not going to lay down if they try to attack me, Louis," I said.

"Of course not," Louis said.

"Then why do you want me to contact the vampires?" I asked, "Only vampire venom can kill you guys."

"I know that," I said, "And my father knows it. That is why he wants to kill the vampires."

"So why should I risk their lives and bring them to your house?" I asked, "Not to mention risk your family's lives."

"So you care about my family now?" Louis asked.

"No," I scoffed, "But you do. And if your family attacks my pack or the vampires, then the vampires will kill them."

"So we make sure that doesn't happen," Louis said.

"Yeah," I said, "Like that will happen."

"Look," Louis said, "I know what my plan is. Leah will get out safely. But it means that I have to go with her. I can't return to my family. What I'm saying is: if I do this, I'm a part of your pack now."

"Ha," I laughed, "Good luck with that. I'm not talking about me. I mean… you think my pack will want to be buddies with you, especially with what has happened in the past few hours?"

"That's your job," Louis said, "Talk to your pack. Talk to the vampires. My guard duty starts at ten-o-clock this morning. Good luck."

"Louis?" I said, "Louis!"

"He left, man," Seth's voice said, "Damn that dude is fast."

"Did you hear all of that?" I asked.

"Yeah," Seth said, "And I think it's a good idea."

"Louis has a thing for your sister, Seth," I said.

"I know," Seth said, "But, hey, if he is on our side, then I have to like the guy."

"Yeah," I said.

"Is he on our side?" Seth asked.

"We'll find out at ten-o-clock this morning," I said, "I need to call Bella. You contact the pack. Don't let your mother find out. Okay?"

"I know what to say," Seth said, "Don't worry about that."

"See you, later," I said.

"Good luck, man," Seth said.

I hung up the phone, then picked it up again and dialed Bella's cell-phone.

----------------------------------------------------------  
**Bella's PoV (A few minutes earlier)**

It had been a rough night. Nessie was asleep in Edward's old bedroom in the house. Edward had found a nice, comfortable bed and brought it up to his room last night. Nessie would have slept in the cottage, but Edward and I weren't in the cottage at the moment.

Edward and I, and the rest of the Cullens, minus Nessie, had been sitting in the living room all night, discussing the near future. Carlisle didn't go into work, and would have only gone if there was a real emergency. From our discussion over the last few hours, this is what I had come up with:

The Graysons were real, genuine werewolves. We still didn't know how many werewolves there were, only that four had revealed themselves. The Graysons now knew there were vampires in the area. They just didn't know who we were. The werewolves were descendants of an old Native American tribe, the Remi Lunitari, who had been, in a sense, kicked out of North America. Lyle Grayson was a loyal follower of the Remi Lunitari, and wanted his revenge on his tribe's enemies: the Quileutes.

Jacob and his pack now knew about the werewolves. In fact, they knew more than I did. They knew what it was like to fight one. They knew how big Louis was, how strong he was, and how fast he was. This also meant that the Graysons knew that the Quileutes knew they were in the area. Confused?

Yes, it was very confusing to me too.

Our discussion had gone everywhere during the night. My father even was discussed. According to Charlie, the Seattle police would be in the area before too long. It wouldn't be too long before the werewolves discovered this too. Carlisle guessed that they would get spooked, and there would be more blood on the hands of Forks, Washington and its people. All because of a renegade pack of werewolves hell-bent on revenge.

Every thing we discussed had a good explanation.

The people and pets who had been killed were done so because the werewolves needed a food source. That man in Kalaloch was killed because he had no pets. In Clearwater, the owner of the cocker spaniel was unlucky. It probably only would have been the dog, but the owner was there. So both were killed. Both humans were killed most likely because the Graysons screwed up and let them be discovered. They couldn't let anyone realize there were werewolves in the area. That witness in Beaver got very lucky. Carlisle was about to call Charlie and get that witness in Beaver into protective custody, but that would cause awkward questions. And Charlie already had enough on his plate.

It didn't take long after that discussion when I realized that Charlie was in danger. He knew Lyle. If Lyle had been killing people who discovered his identity, it wouldn't take long before he discovered that Charlie knew. It was then that Esme decided she would keep Charlie in close surveillance.

I immediately knew that Esme wanted to do this, because she would have no part in the already foreseen battle between us and the Graysons. Alice had no need to foresee this. It was already set in stone. If there were werewolves in the area, they would have to leave or die. We couldn't let them stick around, especially when they had already killed people.

The only thing now that everybody hadn't discussed was when this was going to go down. It would have to be soon. When the Seattle police came to town, it was going to get unpredictable. It wouldn't be too long before the Seattle police started their investigations. This would lead to a lot of people. Carlisle expected that we would have some serious questions coming our way…

"Charlie will do something about that," I said, "Right? I mean… he knows we didn't do anything. And he knows about the werewolves and the Quileutes."

"Bella," Carlisle said, "You have to realize that Charlie can't talk about any of that. He has to make up another explanation."

"Oh," I said, "Right. So what do we do?"

"We have to go along with it," Carlisle said, "And --"

"Carlisle," Edward said, "We can't just let this keep going. The police are going to find out about the werewolves one way or another. The Graysons can't let that happen. There is going to be more bloodshed, and this time it will be Seattle police."

"That is what I was going to say," Carlisle said, "We have to make sure they are gone before too long."

"I agree," I said, "One way or another. If this keeps up, Forks is going to be a big story."

"Not just that," Carlisle said, "With Forks getting so much attention, we're going to have more trouble than we want."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Everyone looked at me.

"The Volturi," I realized.

"The more and more people who come into Forks," Carlisle said, "The more chance there is for them to discover who we are. The Volturi won't let this continue for long."

"But," I said, "If the Volturi come, won't that just increase the chances of our discovery."

"Exactly," Carlisle said, "And they will do everything they can to make sure that doesn't happen. And it doesn't necessarily mean them staying in Volterra."

I realized what Carlisle had meant.

"We have to do something," I said, "Soon."

"Well, I believe we are all agreed on that," Carlisle said.

Suddenly, my cell-phone rang. Again, I expected it to be Charlie.

"Hello?" I said.

"Bells," said a voice.

I sighed. It was Jacob again.

"Jacob?" I said, "What do you want? It's five-o-clock in the morning. Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"We have much bigger problems then the future bags under my eyes," Jacob said.

"What's wrong?" I said, "Wait. I'll put this on speaker. I got the whole family here."

"I was about to suggest that," Jacob said.

I pressed speaker and put the cell-phone on the table.

"We're all listening, Jake," I said, "What's wrong?"

"Leah's been kidnapped," Jacob said.

"What?!" I asked.

"By who?" Edward asked.

"The Graysons," Jacob said, "Leah ran off away from Seth and I when I was escorting them home. She went off into the forest, and apparently ran into Louis somewhere between here and Forks."

"Louis?" I asked, "I'll kill him!"

"Hold your horses, Bells," Jacob said, "There's more. I talked to Louis. It turns out he wants to help us."

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Leah is in the cellar in the Grayson's house," Jacob said, "Lyle is holding her there. Bella, he knows about you. Well, he sort of does. Louis knows I'm friends with vampires. I don't know if Lyle knows that. Anyway, apparently Louis thinks Lyle wants to kill you guys and my pack. He kidnapped Leah just to find out who you guys are. He only knows there are vampires in the area. He doesn't know who you are."

"Yeah, I get that, Jake," I said, "So what else did Louis say? What do you mean he wants to help us?"

"Believe it or not," Jacob said, "Louis said he actually loves Leah. I was shocked. I mean… I don't know how he could believe Leah would still love him. You didn't see her when she realized Louis was a werewolf. As far as I know, Leah wants nothing to do with Louis, except to get her revenge on him."

"Get on with it, Jacob," Edward said.

"Oh, right," Jacob said, "So, anyway, Louis wants to free her. He also knows that when he does this, he won't be able to return home. So he thinks he will just be a part of my pack. I don't know where he came up with that one. Apparently his family takes turns guarding the cellar. Louis starts guarding it at ten-o-clock this morning. That is when this is going down. He wants my pack, and you guys to be there, just in case things get rough."

"I don't know about this, Jacob," Carlisle said, "It sounds like a trap."

"Yeah," Esme said, "We don't know Louis. How do we know he is telling the truth?"

"Love makes a person do crazy things," I said, "Believe me, I know."

Edward smirked when I said that.

"It does sound like a trap, though," I said, "The Graysons don't know who we are, Jacob. Maybe this is just to lure us in."

"Yeah, I know," Jacob said, "Can't you get your future-teller to see what happens?"

"It doesn't work that way, Jacob," Alice said, "I can't see werewolves."

"Oh, well that helps a lot," Jacob said, sarcastically, "So what should we do?"

"Do you think we can trust Louis?" Carlisle asked.

"I might be going out on a limb here," Jacob said, "But yes. Louis said he never wanted anyone to get hurt. His parents were the ones who killed those people and their pets."

"So Lyle's wife is a werewolf," Carlisle said.

"Sounds like it," Jacob said.

"Which means the whole family are werewolves," Carlisle said.

"Sounds like it," Jacob repeated, "Louis says when he does, this he will be a traitor to his family. An outsider to them now. An enemy."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Carlisle said.

"Exactly," Jacob said.

"Or a bigger enemy," Emmett said.

"Can't get much bigger than the werewolves," Rosalie said.

"Thanks, Jacob," Carlisle said, "We'll talk about this."

"See you at the Graysons at ten?" Jacob asked.

"That's what we are going to talk about," Carlisle said, "Goodbye, Jacob."

Carlisle looked at me, and I nodded. I picked up the phone.

"Bye, Jake," I said into it.

I then turned off the phone.

"So what do you think, Carlisle?" Edward asked, "Is it a trap?"

"Either way," Carlisle said, "We can't let Leah die because we didn't do anything. Especially when Leah is being held prisoner because Lyle wants answers from her. We're a part of this now. The war has begun. Agreed?"

"I agree," I said.

"Yeah," Edward said.

"Jacob's pack may be smelly wolves," Alice said, "But they are our smelly wolves."

"I'm with Alice," Jasper said.

"I'll do anything to get rid of those werewolves," Emmett said.

Everyone looked at Rosalie.

"It's a trap, I just know it," Rosalie said, "But what the hell? We haven't had this much fun in months!"

We looked at Esme.

"You know how I feel about this," Esme said, "I won't be a part of the war, but I'll help. I'll keep an eye on Charlie."

"That's all I ask," I said to her, "Besides, you can keep an eye on Nessie as well."

Esme nodded.

"Jacob said Louis won't be ready until ten," Carlisle said, "It gives us time to prepare."

I nodded, but I was still worried. Rosalie was right. This was probably a trap. I wasn't too sure if I could trust Louis. What was bigger to him? Family or love? Did he love Leah more than he loved his family? And what would happen if he did ally with us, then realize Leah didn't love him back? Would he turn on us again?

This was going to get very interesting.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

****

Semi-Cliffhanger!

Wow! Talk about a head-rush. First I had writer's block and then the ideas hit me like a tidal wave! Whew!

Do you like the way the story is going? Next chapter is Leah's PoV!

Feedback would be wonderful, as always!


	12. Because Of You

**Chapter 12  
Because Of You**

**Leah's PoV**

I was trapped. What I thought was a wonderful castle turned out to be a prison. And I was the only prisoner. I didn't know what time it was, only that I had been in this room for a while. I figured the Graysons decided to keep watch on me, because there was always someone standing outside my door. I could hear their voices.

Lyle seemed to be the dominant member of the Graysons, because he never stood outside the door to keep watch. He did come down to talk to the guard. Apparently, Lyle was still counting on me telling him where the vampires were. I was supposed to speak up to the guard to tell them that I wanted to talk to Lyle. Which I didn't. I didn't have anything to say to Lyle. I didn't care if he killed me. I wasn't going to tell him where my friends were.

Yes, I had made my choice. I would die before I spoke up. I had nothing left. The love of my life, my imprint, turned out to be a monster. A story-book monster come to life. A werewolf.

Yes, I knew he was my imprint. He was still the love of my life, but I wasn't going to tell him that. Not if he kept me locked up in here. I was a fool. I was a fool for loving him. I was a fool for making him my imprint. Of course, I really had no choice when it came to the imprint thing. I didn't understand it that well. All I knew is that Louis was indeed my imprint, but that didn't matter anymore. He betrayed me. I was going to die down here, and I didn't care. If I couldn't have that special someone in my life, then I didn't want to live. My imprint was a monster, and as far as I knew, I couldn't choose another imprint. It was either stick it out with him, or nobody at all.

And if I chose nobody at all, that meant it was over. My life was over.

Before I found Louis, I thought love was silly. Just another optional step on the road to life. A step that I thought I was never going to take because of who I am. No one would want a wolf-girl. No one would want a person who could turn into a wolf… period. That is why imprinting exists. I wanted to honestly just scream out to my pack and say that imprinting is cheating. And I wanted to know if they believe they would get someone in their life if they didn't have the imprinting option.

I know how they would respond too:

The whole reason imprinting exists is more for survival than love. In order for shape-shifters to continue to exist in this world, we need to produce new generations. It's true, that we could just mate with other shape-shifters, but it is also rare for a female shape-shifter to come along. I am the first female shape-shifter in a long time. And I can kind of see where their whole point is coming from. I wouldn't want to be the only mother of the next generation. Also, I knew that if I kept phasing, which I loved, my biological cycle would be completely messed up. So, in reality, there a small chance in hell I will be the one to produce the next generation of shape-shifters.

Good. I don't want to be a mother anyway. Especially if I'm destined to end up with a werewolf.

----------------------------------------

I really needed to get out of this prison. I could hear Louis' voice on the other side of the door, and my feelings were all over the place. I didn't know if it was that imprinting thing doing it, or what. But it's like I know I want to stay mad at him, but I also want to forgive him. It wasn't his fault he turned into a werewolf. That pesky moon showed up and turned him into the monster he was. It wasn't his choice. If his mother and father were both werewolves, then he had no choice at all. He was born into that life. He was born a monster. He was a beast and my prince all at the same time. A true fairy-tale character come to life.

But he was also the reason I was in this prison. If he had just left me alone in that forest, I wouldn't have been put in this place. If he hadn't kicked me in the head and knocked me out, I could have run away. If he hadn't turned into a werewolf during the bonfire, I wouldn't probably be worrying about this. He would still be my prince, and I would love him for it. It was his fault.

And yet, at the same time, it wasn't.

I wasn't sure. My head was going in circles. This room was getting to me. Louis' voice was getting to me. I wanted him to shut up.

I walked over to the door, ready to pound on it. But then I started hearing more than just muttering. Distinct conversation could be made out.

"It's not even ten-o-clock yet, Louis," a voice said.

I recognized this voice. It was one of the adolescents that stood guard.

"You look tired, William," Louis's voice said, "Exhausted. You should get some sleep. I can start early."

"Are you sure?" William asked, "Father might get mad at me. You know how he is."

"He won't get mad, William," Louis said, "It isn't like no one will be standing guard. I'll be here. Look, I'll tell Father if he finds out. I'm volunteering early."

"Okay," William said, "I am pretty tired after all."

"Father's been working you to the bone, Will," Louis said, "You shouldn't be put through that. Especially when you're just learning how to transform without practically harming yourself. That tires you out more than anything, Will. Believe me, I know."

"Thanks, Louis," William said, "You're my favorite big brother."

I heard footsteps walking away, and knew that Louis was now the only one outside my door. Suddenly, the doorknob turned. I growled silently. I knew Louis was coming in. The door opened and Louis walked into the room, then closed the door.

"You're lucky I don't have shoes on," I growled, "I would throw one at you."

"Nice to see you too, Leah," Louis said, with a small laugh.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"I wanted to talk to you," Louis said, "Look, Leah. I still love you. And --"

"Go away," I snarled.

"You wouldn't say that," Louis said, "if you knew what I was going to tell you."

"I don't want to hear it!" I said, "Nothing you could say would make this hell-hole any better!"

"What if I could promise you freedom?" Louis asked.

I scoffed. What was he playing at?

"Leah," Louis said, "I don't like to see you suffering down here. I was telling the truth when I said I still love you, Leah. I do. You are the most beautiful person -- the most beautiful girl I've ever met."

That's the imprinting talking. Maybe if I explained imprinting to him, he would realize he wasn't in love with me.

"Louis," I said, "Do you know what imprinting is?"

"Imprint -- what?" Louis asked.

"It's the reason you're in love with me," I said.

"Rubbish," Louis said, "I'm in love with you because --"

"Because what, Louis?" I asked, "Because I am beautiful? That's the imprinting talking. See? Very few people outside my tribe knows what I am. Most humans would be disgusted by me, even threatened. They would think we were a danger to them. They would want to harm us."

"I'm not a human, though, Leah," Louis said.

"It doesn't matter, Louis," I said, sighing, "Nobody would want me when they find out my secret."

"You're wrong, Leah," Louis said, "Remember, you're not the only one in this room with a secret. We're not so different, you and I. We both transform into wolves."

"I have a choice, Louis," I said, "I could choose to phase into a cat, or a dog. But I choose a wolf. Hell, I could even choose not to phase anymore! You don't have a choice, Louis. When that moon comes, you can't control yourself!"

"I'm trying, Leah," Louis said.

"Right," I scoffed.

"No, you see," Louis said, "My father is trying to also control his transformation. He did it once, long ago. But as he gets older, it is much harder to defend it."

"When did your father come into this conversation?" I asked, "See, that is why you're talking to me. Because of your father. He wants answers from me. Well, I won't give him any! I won't tell him anything! I won't tell you anything!"

"I don't want you to tell me anything, Leah," Louis said.

"Right," I said again.

"I know who your vampire friends are, Leah!" Louis said.

I gulped.

"Then why haven't you told your father?" I asked.

"Because of you," Louis said.

Right. Me again. This all comes back to me. Imprinting is going to get me killed.  
"Leah, I want to help you," Louis said, "I want you out of this cellar. I want you away from my father."

"You want to betray your father?" I scoffed, "Why? And don't you _dare_ say because of me!"

Louis sighed.

"I'm not like my father, Leah," Louis said, "I don't like what I am. You don't know what it is like here. My father is training my brothers and sisters to be as vicious as he is. He is training them to be future _killers_. He is bent on the survival of werewolves. The only way to do this is to kill the vampires. I don't want anyone else to get hurt, Leah. I don't like the fact that people are dying because of my father."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"I want to get away from this family," Louis said, "I don't want to be a member of this family anymore. But if I leave, I have to make sure I can survive away from my family. The only way I can possibly do that… is with you."

"I told you not to mention me again, Louis," I said.

"I can't help it, Leah," Louis said, "We're connected. I told you that. There is no better perfect pair than us. You're a shape-shifter who transforms into a wolf, and I'm a werewolf. It's like we were meant to be together. Like we were both created solely for the purpose of each other. I am here because of you."

"You don't have to be a werewolf," I said, "Vampire venom can cure you, as well as kill you."

"Then that is perfect!" Louis said, "Have one of your vampire friends cure me. You said you can choose if you want to phase or not. So don't phase anymore. We can be normal, Leah. We can live normal lives. Together."

I had to hand it to Louis. It sounded like a real lovely idea. Like a fantasy. The perfect fantasy. The one I dreamt about forever. There were a few problems though.

"You do know the cure is dangerous, right?" I asked, "Enough vampire venom can cure you. But any more, and you're dead."

"It's a chance I will take," Louis said.

Of course he would say that. I don't like horrible clichés but I had to say it. Strike one.

"Okay, so wait," I said, "You say if you help me, then you can't live with your family anymore."

"Of course not," Louis said, "If I do this, and my father finds out, he will want to kill me."

"And you're okay with that?" I asked.

"It's a chance I will take," Louis repeated.

Well, that wasn't exactly the response I wanted to original question. Strike one-and-a-half.

"So you say you will join my pack?" I asked.

"That's the idea," Louis said.

"I don't think that will be too easy," I said, "Especially with what happened the last time you were there."

"That is almost exactly what Jacob said," Louis said.

I didn't expect that.

"Wait," I said, "You talked to Jacob?"

"Yeah," Louis said, "I called him and told him my plan. He is going to bring his pack and the vampires here to help rescue you."

"I get it now!" I growled, "You don't love me at all! You're leading them into a trap!"

Louis looked scared.

"No," he said, "I swear! I'm not leading them into a trap. Look, if everything works out, this will take a few minutes, and then the vampires and your pack will be away from here before my father knows what happened. And I will be right beside you every step of the way."

"I don't believe you," I said.

"Leah," Louis said, "I would never betray you. I didn't want to betray you to begin with. My past actions are because of my father. He wanted me to meet you. Somehow, he knew about you. He knew you were the only female shape-shifter in the pack. He wanted me to gain your trust and then capture you."

"Which is exactly what you did!" I said.

"Yes," Louis said, "But that doesn't matter now. I've regretted every step of it. Except for finding you. Out of everything my father has ever done for me, I thank him for that. If it wasn't for him, I may have never met you."

I sighed. Louis wasn't going to leave me alone. A part of me wanted to believe him… the part that was still in love with him. But I just couldn't help but think that Louis could betray me at any moment. I didn't know if it was the imprinting that was making him talk, or if he really, truly loved me.

Ugh. This is why I hate imprinting. You're always connected with your imprint, and they are connected with you. Though… perhaps I was taking this the wrong way. Maybe it was the imprinting that was going to save me. Maybe Louis wouldn't able to turn on me because he was so affected by my imprinting. Imprinting wouldn't give up on me. It wouldn't stop just because I didn't love Louis anymore. It would only make our love stronger. Maybe I needed to go along with this.

"Louis," I said, "I need to know something before I go along with your plan."

"Anything," Louis said.

"Before I met you," I said, "I had never been in love before. Sure, I had a crush on my old pack leader, but I knew I would never be able to have him. Imprinting won him over. We were never meant to be. It took a while for me to realize that. Because my pack and I imprint on people, it is hard for us to know if we are truly in love with that person, or if they are truly in love with us. Imprinting is basically a love potion. A drug. Once you're affected, you're hooked."

Before now, I had my back up against the cellar wall. Louis was on the other side of the room. Until now, I was too scared to go near him. But I had to know the answer to my question. I walked over to Louis.

"What I need to know is this," I continued, "Are you truly in love with me? Or is it the imprinting that is talking for you?"

Louis opened his mouth to speak, but I put my hand up to his lips.

"Please think this over," I said, "Remember what I told you. I don't like imprinting. I want to be able to find someone who will love me for who I am. Not just because they are hooked on me like I'm some kind of drug."

Louis looked upset.

"I can't answer your question, Leah," he said.

"Can't?" I asked, "Or won't?"

"I can't," Louis said, "Because it will only make what you said true."

"Then the effects you feel," I said, "are because you're my imprint."

"No!" Louis said.

He then sighed.

"And yes," Louis said, "I don't know. Look, Leah. I love you. I love to be around you. You… complete me."

I rolled my eyes.

"Okay, so tell me this," Louis said, "What you feel for me… is it because I'm your imprint… or do you really, truly love me?"

Ouch. I expected this, and it was still a surprise to me.

"I don't think my heart would have broken if I didn't love you," I said, "It's just… I'm so confused, Louis. For you to be my imprint, and the love of my life, is rare. I've known one other couple who this has happened to, and their story is much sadder than you could ever possibly imagine."

"One of them died?" Louis asked.

"No," I said, and felt a sob at the tip of my lips, "Sam and Emily are dear friends of mine. Sam imprinted on Emily, but sometime later, something happened. Sam attacked Emily, and it scarred her forever."

"But you'd never attack me," Louis said, though he sounded unsure.

"Louis, you don't understand!" I said, "When you imprint, you meet your soul mate."

"So you are my soul mate," Louis said.

"I guess so," I said, "But that isn't what I'm talking about. Look, when you imprint, you would do anything for that person. Your attention goes to that person and nobody else. You don't fall in love with anyone else, Louis. The thing is… what happened between Sam and Emily… it has never been heard of before. Sam attacked Emily, Louis. He attacked his own imprint. He lost control, and it's almost impossible for that to happen."

"I don't understand," Louis said, "So if I'm your imprint, then you're destined to be with me. But you said I broke your heart. Am I your imprint or not?"

"You have to be," I said, "I've never felt this way before I met you. But that also means I might lose control. I don't want to hurt you, Louis. Because you see, imprinting doesn't only have to do with life itself. It has to do with death too. If anything happens to you, if someone kills you, I will be forced to go after them. Even if it kills me. If you betray your family, and they kill you in the end, I will want to kill them. I won't stop. But I can't kill a werewolf, Louis!"

"Oh," Louis said.

I knew Louis had finally understood everything I was saying.

"Maybe we shouldn't have met then," Louis said, "I've risked your life by meeting you."

"It couldn't be helped," I said, "We were destined to meet each other."

"Then I led my family to La Push," Louis said, "I'm the reason this is happening."

"Of course not," I said.

"No," Louis said, "I'm right. I know I am. There is no other way then. I have to go with my plan, Leah. I'm getting you out of here. If only to make up for leading my family to your friends. It's time. It's probably around ten. I'll be right back to make sure everything is clear."

Louis turned and headed for the door. He put his hand on the doorknob.

"Why are you doing this, Louis?" I asked, "You could just leave. You could forget me. You could let me die and be finished with me. So why, Louis? Why are you doing this?"

Louis turned and looked at me.

"Because of you, Leah," he said, "Because I love you."

I believed him. For the first time in the past few hours, I actually believed him. It wasn't the imprint talking. Full of jubilation, I walked over to him and kissed him on the lips. He was surprised at first, but returned the kiss. He then smiled at me and opened the door.

"I'll be back in just a little bit," he said.

He then left the room. I stood there, waiting for him to come back. For the first time in a while, I felt really happy. And it was all because of him.

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Chapter Finished!

I wanted to save the outcome of the escape for next chapter. Hope you liked this chapter. I think I explained what I thought imprinting was as good as I could. Hope I didn't misinterpret it.

Feedback would be great!


	13. Escape

**Chapter 13  
Escape**

**Author's Note: This Chapter will be in Three PoVs.**

**Jacob's PoV - Nine-O-Clock  
**  
One hour to go. I had high hopes about this mission, as I liked to call it. It was going to be simple. If everything went right today, no lives would be lost. The plan was simple: get in, get Leah and Louis, and get out. I had second thoughts of bringing Louis with us, but he was doing this for us, so I had to help him. If we did this right, the Graysons wouldn't find out until long after Leah and Louis were gone.

Then it was going to get interesting. Everything would be unpredictable after this. If we succeeded, I knew the Graysons would come after us: the pack and the vampires. That was okay. I was ready for a real fight. A part of me wanted to go to the Grayson's house and just start the imminent battle right there. But this was a rescue mission. We would get our revenge later.

The only person I had contacted, since I had called Bella and the Cullens, was Seth. I needed to know if Louis had returned, and he hadn't. I told Seth to get in contact with the rest of my pack and bring them around my house. I would contact them, but I had other problems.

Just a few minutes before nine, the imminent had happened. Leah's mother became worried when Leah didn't return all night, and she called Billy. It was nine before Billy finished his conversation with Leah's mother, and confronted me.

"Jacob," Billy said, wheeling over to me.

"Yes, Dad?" I said.

"Sue and I just had an interesting conversation," Billy said, "It seems Leah didn't return home last night. And she hasn't been home since she left to go to your bonfire. Do you know where she is?"

"Yes," I said.

"Where?" Billy asked.

"It's a long story," I said.

"I have all day," Billy said.

Well, I didn't. I guess I better get this over with.

"Well, you known when you asked me to escort Seth and Leah home?" I asked.

"Yes," Billy said, "I asked this, because Leah was still shaken up from the events at the bonfire."

"I accidentally revealed to her that I knew Louis was a werewolf," I said, "You know, before he transformed into one."

"I see," Billy said, "And I assume she didn't like that."

"No," I said, "She wished that I had told her before. But if I did, it would have messed up my plan."

"Right," Billy said.

"Well, Leah and I got into a fight," I said, "Words, not fists. And she phased and ran off into the forest."

"I see," Billy said, "But you must have seen her after that. Because you said you know where she is."

"No," I said, "I didn't see her. I just know where she went."

"And where is that?" Billy asked.

"Halfway between here and Forks," I said, "She ran into Louis Grayson."

"Oh," Billy said, and I could almost see the cogs working behind his eyes.

"She got into a fight with him," I said, "And he won. He kidnapped her."

"What?' Billy asked, "I need to call Charlie!"

"No!" I said, "Charlie won't be able to do anything. Besides, every thing is under control."

"What are you talking about?" Billy asked, "How can everything be under control? Leah's been kidnapped!"

"Louis talked to me," I said, "Earlier this morning. Seth called me and told me that Louis was in his bedroom. Louis then talked to me and told me everything. He also told me that he wants to rescue Leah. He doesn't want her to be there."

"Wait," Billy said, "I thought Louis is the reason Leah is at the house?"

"Apparently his it was his father's orders," I said, "Even if Leah didn't confront Louis last night, Leah would have been taken to Lyle's house at one point or another."

"And you said Lyle's son wants to rescue Leah?" Billy asked.

"Yes," I said, "Louis loves Leah. And I guess he loves her enough to betray his family. He wants to join our pack when we rescue Leah."

"What do you mean?" Billy asked, "Where did you come into this?"

"Louis can't do it alone, Dad," I said, "He wants the pack and the Cullens to be there to help."

"And you don't think this is some kind of trap?" Billy asked.

"That is exactly what the Cullens said too," I said.

"You talked to the Cullens too?" Billy asked.

"Yes," I said, "It's been a busy night. Anyway, they agreed to what Louis talked to me about. And the Cullens and my pack are to be at the Grayson's house in about an hour. That is when Louis' guard duty starts."

"You're risking a lot here, Jake," Billy said.

"It's for Leah," I said, "She would do the same thing for me."

"And why can't Charlie do anything?" Billy asked.

"Because he'd get killed," I said, "He can't take on one werewolf, not to mention a whole pack. There is no telling whether or not the Graysons will attack us. Only Vampires can kill werewolves, but my pack and I can hurt them. So if the Graysons do interfere, we will be there to help."

"Why didn't you tell me this last night?" Billy asked.

"Because you would have told Sue," I said, "And she might have gotten herself or someone else killed by over-reacting."

"Well, that may be true," Billy said, "But don't keep stuff like this from me again. I like to know what is going on in my tribe."

"Yes, Dad," I said.

"I wish I could be there," Billy said, "I'd like to ring the neck of those Graysons."

I laughed, then heard a knock on the front door. I got up and walked over to the door, then opened it. My whole pack was standing outside.

"So I guess Seth told you?" I asked them.

"Those werewolves are going to get it!" Paul said.

"Hey, now," I said, "Hold on a moment."

I walked outside and closed the door.

"This is not going to be a battle," I said, "We are going there to rescue Leah and Louis."

"Hey, now!" Paul spat, "Seth didn't mention anything about us rescuing Louis."

"Seth!" I scolded him.

"They wouldn't have agreed to come along if I told them that!" Seth exclaimed.

"What the hell does Louis have to do with this?" Embry asked.

"Louis is helping us," I said.

"Helping us?!" Paul spat, "He attacked us at the bonfire!"

"He didn't have a choice," I said, "That was the beast inside him. Not everyone can control it, you know. Not even you."

"He kidnapped Leah, didn't he?!" Quil asked.

"Yes, and he regrets it, Quil," I said.

"What?" Embry asked.

"He told me," I said.

"And you believed him?" Paul asked.

"He still loves Leah," I said, "Guys, Louis is Leah's imprint. We can't let him get hurt."

"Imprinting," Paul scoffed, "It always comes back to imprinting, doesn't it?"

"Imprinting's fine, Paul," Quil said.

"Yeah, you say that now that you're pining over a toddler!" Paul retorted.

Quil growled.

"Quiet!" I ordered, "This is not the time for fighting!"

Paul and Quil went silent, but they were still looking at each other with narrowed eyes.

"It is almost time for us to head for the Grayson's house," I said, "We need to get ready."

Everyone nodded and I knew they were ready for the upcoming events.

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**Bella's PoV - Nine-O-Clock**

Esme and Nessie were sitting in one of the Cullen's cars. I was leaning up against Nessie's door.

"So you know what you're going to do, Esme?" I asked.

"Keep an eye on Charlie," Esme said, "And if Charlie sees us, I will say that I was taking Nessie shopping and she wanted to see him."

"And if he asks about me?" I asked.

"I will tell him that you and Edward wanted some Nessie-free hours," Esme said, grinning, "He'll believe me."

"You'll call me if anything goes wrong?" I asked, "Right?"

"Of course, Bella," Esme said, "But nothing will go wrong. Nessie and I are going to have fun. Aren't we, Nessie?"

Nessie nodded, and turned to me.

"Are you sure I can't go with you?" she asked me.

"I'm sorry, dear," I said, "I have to go help Jakey, okay? I will tell him 'hi' for you, eh?"

Nessie nodded and smiled.

"You have fun with Grandma Esme," I said.

"I will, Mommy," Nessie said.

I leaned inside the car and kissed Nessie on the forehead.

"I love you, Nessie," I said.

"I love you too, Mommy," I said.

"Be safe, Bella," Esme said, "Take care of our family for me."

"I promise, Esme," I said, smiling.

I ducked my head out of the window, and Esme started the car and backed up out of the driveway. I waved at them, and Nessie waved back smiling. I continued to wave as they disappeared from my sight.

"They'll be fine," Edward's voice said.

I looked toward the front door, and saw Edward standing there.

"Will we?" I asked.

"Everything will be just fine," Edward said, "And I don't even need Alice to tell me that."

"Well, thanks!" Alice's voice said, sarcastically, as she walked out behind Edward, "It's great to know I'm not needed."

"Of course you are needed, dear sister," Edward said.

"Uh-huh," Alice said, grumpily, "Just another set of teeth."

"Alice, what's wrong?" I asked.

"I hate these limitations!" Alice said, in frustration, "I can't even see what the Graysons are doing! I just see darkness! Some future-seer I am!"

"Alice," I said, walking up to her and Edward, "Everything is going to be all right."

"I hope so," Alice said.

"Something wrong?" Carlisle's voice came from inside the house.

Carlisle, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie all appeared.

"Alice is just a little anxious," Edward said.

"Aren't we all?" Carlisle said, "Alice, it is all right to be anxious. Keeps you on your feet."

"It just makes me feel weak," Alice said.

"Anxiety is not a weakness," Carlisle said, "Sometimes it even makes you stronger."

Carlisle turned to me.

"Have you spoken to Jacob since this morning?" he asked me.

"No," I said, shaking my head, "Why?"

"Oh, nothing," Carlisle said, "I was hoping Louis would find another way."

"You still feel this is a trap, Father?" Emmett asked.

"Yes," Carlisle said, "But I would be foolish not to think that."

He then shook his head, and waved a dismissive hand.

"Ah," he said, "Don't mind me. An old man's worries. I may not look or feel old, but I'm old to the point that I worry more than most people, and have good reason to."

"There is no need to worry," I said, "At least not at the moment. We may need to worry after we rescue Leah and Louis."

"I don't think we'll have to wait too long anyway," Edward said, "Won't be too long until they realize what happened. And then the inevitable will happen."

"We'll worry about that when it comes," Carlisle said, "Let's get ready. We need to head for the Grayson's house in a bit."

Alice walked back inside with Carlisle and the others, leaving me alone with Edward.

"All you all right?" Edward asked me.

"All this talk about an inevitable battle," I said, "makes me wish Nessie was far away from Forks. We already almost lost her once. I can't lose her, Edward."

"I already told you that you and Nessie can go back to New Hampshire," Edward said.

"And I told you that isn't possible," I said, "Not as long as the werewolves are here in Forks. I won't leave when there is a threat to my father and my friends. Maybe your father is right. Maybe we should end this today. They aren't expecting us."

"We don't know how Louis will react," Edward said, "We need to make sure he is on our side. We can't have him go back to his family after this. Especially since he will know who we are. If Louis even threatens to go back to his family, we'll have to stop him."

"You mean kill him?" I asked.

"If that is what it takes," Edward said.

"Well, for his sake," I said, "I hope he is true to his word."

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**Leah's PoV - Shortly After Louis left**

I paced back and forth in that small cellar, my head full of thoughts. I was waiting for Louis to return and free me from my prison. Then we could be together again. Because, yes, I really wanted to be with him now. I was now completely sure he loved me and it just wasn't the imprinting talking.

It was now my personal mission to cure Louis from his curse. I felt it was the least I could do if he was going to rescue me and be a part of my life now. Once this whole ordeal was finished, I would talk to Dr. Cullen and see what he had to say.

My life had definitely gone through some twists and turns over the past day, but I felt perfectly fine now. I was fine with Louis being a werewolf, if only because I knew that he would be cured soon. There was a part of me that liked him as a werewolf, but it was way to dangerous. I was even having thoughts of stopping phasing and just getting on with my normal life. If Louis wasn't going to be a wolf anymore, than why should I? After a few months of no longer phasing, I think I will just forget it totally and therefore become a normal human girl. Louis and I could live our lives together, and we'll live happily ever after, just as I wanted. Just like my perfect dream. It was no longer a fantasy.

My conversation with Louis was still going through my mind. He was doing all of this because of me. Because he loved me. Normally, I would think that was the imprinting talking, but I really, truly believed Louis when he said it. I felt it in his kiss. His perfect lips on mine, even if it was only temporarily. I wanted that feeling again.

I began to wonder what would happen once Louis and I got out of here. Would my pack accept Louis? Would Jacob accept him? Would my brother? Louis had attacked them, and that isn't easily forgiven. Perhaps Louis and I would have to delay that. Maybe we could run away together for a while until we believed Jacob and the pack really missed us. The only problem was my silent promise to Louis that I would cure him.

I didn't want him to be a werewolf anymore. He was uncontrollable when he was a werewolf. Thankfully it was very cloudy around here, but like last night there was always the chance that the moon would show up. Louis might unintentionally harm me. No, I had to get him cured before the moon came again. We wouldn't be able to leave La Push. We'll just have to confront the pack.

Oh joy.

Suddenly, the door opened again. Louis walked back in.

"Come on!" he urged me, "We need to hurry."

"What's wrong?" I asked, walking out the door.

"One of your vampire friends," Louis said, "was spotted by my father. I think it was the doctor. Anyway, he's introducing himself, and I think my father wants to make sure I keep you quiet. We have to hurry before my brothers and sisters come down to check on us."

"How are we getting out then?" I asked.

"Don't worry," Louis said, "The back door is just down the hall from the entrance to the basement. Come on!"

Louis took my hand and led me up the staircase to the first floor of the house. When he opened the door, I heard footsteps.

"Are we too late?" I whispered.

"Hang on," Louis said.

He walked out of the door, and shut it behind him. I pressed my ear against the door.

"Aren't you supposed to be guarding the girl?" a female voice asked.

"She's hungry, Heather," Louis said, "I was going to get her something to eat. Unless… maybe you should. Seeing that I'm on guard duty, and you know how Father is about that."

"Father wanted me to check on you," Heather said.

"I'm fine," Louis said, "And other than the fact that she's hungry, Leah's fine too."

"Is she any closer to telling Father who her vampire friends are?" Heather asked.

"You know," Louis said, "I think she might be. I could get that information, and trade it for her breakfast. So how about I go ask her, and you go make breakfast."

Heather didn't answer. Perhaps she was thinking it over.

"Fine," Heather said.

I heard receding footsteps. A moment later, the door opened.

"That was close," Louis said.

"Who is Heather?" I asked.

"My oldest sister," Louis said, "Only a couple years younger than me. She is next in line for the proverbial throne, if you get my meaning. Father just loves her."

"Do we need to worry about her?" I asked.

"Her bark is worse than her bite," Louis said, "But not by much. We need to hurry."

Louis took my hand and led me down the hallway. Every few steps, we stopped and listened for any sounds. When we were in sight of the back door, Louis and I hurried toward the door. Louis opened it, and we walked out. I was free! Then…

"What the bloody hell is going on?" a voice said behind me.

Louis and I turned around. William, the second oldest son in the Grayson line, was standing there.

"William," Louis said, "Listen…"

"You're helping her escape!" William said, "I was right. Heather didn't believe me, but I was right! You do still have feelings for this girl!"

"William," Louis said, "Please."

"You're going to get it," William said, turning around, "Father --"

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a silver blur. I instantly recognized Jacob in wolf form. He sped past me and tackled William to the ground. William wasn't moving. Jacob phased back into human form.

"Sorry, Louis," Jacob said, "I was watching and I hoped you would be able to get away without anyone seeing."

"It's fine," Louis said, looking at his unconscious brother, "William made his choice. Where is everyone?"

"The pack is in the forest a few yards away," Jacob said, "The Vampires are up front."

"I know," Louis said, "My father spotted the doctor."

"I'll get one of the pack to send word to the vampires that the coast is clear," Jacob said.

"Wait a second!" I said, "I don't understand --"

"We'll explain everything when we get out of here," Jacob said, "We need to get back to La Push."

Before I could say anything, Jacob ran off. Louis dragged me along and we followed him. Five minutes later, we met the rest of the pack in the woods.

"Don't phase back right now," Jacob said, when Quil and Embry were making a move, "We don't need a bunch of naked guys roaming the woods. Embry, go find the vampires. Tell them that we rescued Leah. Carlisle doesn't need to be there any longer."

Embry barked in response and ran off through the woods. Jacob turned to me and Louis.

"I was just about to call in the invasion if I didn't see you guys," he said, "I was worried there for a moment."

"So hold on a moment," I said, "The pack and the Cullens -- how did you know where I was?"

"Louis went to your house earlier this morning," Jacob said, "He explained to Sam what was going on, then Sam called me and Louis talked to me. He planned the rescue."

"You do understand that Louis is a part of our pack now?" I asked, "He can't go back home. Especially now that William noticed us."

"If he's willing to fight with us," Jacob said, "He's welcome to join us."

"Fight?" Louis asked.

"Your family will come after us, Louis," Jacob said, "We can't kill werewolves, but if we even smell your family, we'll call in the Cullens. I assume you know that they can kill werewolves, right?"

"So I've heard," Louis said.

"And are you okay with that?" Jacob asked.

"If they threaten Leah, your pack and your friends," Louis said, "Then I'm okay with retaliation."

Paul growled, and I heard Seth give a responsive growl.

"What are they saying?" Louis asked.

"I may not be able to hear them in my human form," I said, "But I think I know. Guys, Louis is my imprint, but he isn't just that. We're in love. Either you are okay with that, or there will be some problems in this pack. That includes you, Jacob."

"As long as he doesn't go all animalistic on us," Jacob said, "I'm okay with that. You know as well as I do that we can't hurt Louis as long as he doesn't hurt us."

"Because I'm her imprint?" Louis asked.

"Imprinting goes a long way in my tribe, Louis," Jacob said, "There is much that even I don't understand. I do know this… it is one of the reasons my pack doesn't hurt the vampires."

"You're imprint is a vampire?" Louis asked.

"Sort of, yeah," Jacob said.

At that, Embry returned. He returned to human form.

"The vampires are leaving the Grayson house," he said, "Bella asked me to tell you that she'll be at the reservation tomorrow. Apparently she has a lot to discuss."

"I expected that," Jacob said, "I think she is eager to meet our new pack-mate."

Jacob smiled at Louis.

"Let's get going, pack," Jacob said, "I don't think we should stick around here much longer."

Hand-in-hand with Louis, we headed back to La Push with the pack. I thought I was pretty lucky to get out of there tonight. Though I wished we hadn't ran into Louis' brother. That was going to cause a lot of problems that we didn't need. And I knew very well that those problems would come sooner than later.

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Chapter Finished!

Sorry for the small delay. This chapter took a little while to think of. I'm not too sure how long this story is going to be, or if it will end sooner than later. I do hope it is long enough, and I will try to extend it a bit with some different storylines.

Next chapter, I will be switched to a different PoV. This time… Charlie's!

Feedback would be great!


	14. Chapter 14: No Title

**Chapter 14  
****No Title**

**Author's Note: Sorry for the long delay. Between moving and writing other stuff, and writer's block getting in the way, I didn't know the next thing to write in this story. But I think I have some ideas now, and I will try to continue this story as much as I can. **

**(Charlie's PoV – Early morning)**

At nine-o-clock, I found myself sitting in my office in the Forks police station. The police radio behind me was only making buzzing noises. Like the kind of noises that you'd hear from a TV that had no reception.

There was a small TV sitting on top of a stack of old newspapers. The reception was a bit fuzzy, but usually, with a few smacks to the side now and then, it would go back to normal. Right now, it was on one of the Seattle channels that we always got out here in Forks. Other than when there was a baseball game on, I always kept the TV on one of the news channels... especially lately. Ever since the news started about attacks on animals and people in the area around the Olympic Peninsula, the TV had always been on the news channels.

A good-sized stack of paper was sitting in front of me on the desk. It was official hoo-hah about the Seattle police coming into Forks and the towns around my home town. Later this morning, officials from the Seattle police station would be coming into Forks and that would begin one of the largest joint investigations the state of Washington had ever seen. It was true, when it came to the police around the Olympic Peninsula, Seattle was in charge. But it was rare for them to worry too much about stuff happening in the small towns like Forks. In the past, the only reason the Seattle police ever came out here was if there was a fugitive that might have gone this way. Now with these attacks that had been happening over the past few weeks, this was much bigger than any ol' fugitive. I knew that better than any of my colleagues. And I wish I didn't.

Over the past few months, my life had become a passenger on what seemed to be the longest roller-coaster in the world. And the strangest.

My only daughter seemed to be stuck as an eighteen-year old woman (at least in appearance, it seemed) for the rest of her life, just because of some rare disease she had picked up in South America. When I had first heard about my daughter's condition, I had contacted the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta. Or tried to. Carlisle Cullen had given me a number for the CDC (it seemed that, as a doctor, he knew these things), but it turned out to be a dead-end. I couldn't find out what was happening to my daughter, and when I had finally contacted the CDC, they told me they couldn't help me. I thought my daughter was gone, until the Cullens told me she was fine. When I found out for myself, I discovered that she had seemed to be frozen into her eighteen year old self for who knows how long! Ever since I first got news of Bella's condition, I had many interesting discussions with my ex-wife, and Bella's mother, Renee, and now, as far as I knew, Renee wasn't going to be seeing Bella ever again.

But that wasn't the only thing that had happened to me. After I found out that my daughter was fine, I also discovered I had a granddaughter. Even I was confused about that. Edward, Bella's husband, told me that the little girl was his niece, the daughter of the biological brother that I swear had never been mentioned before then. My granddaughter, Nessie, was great. I loved her like she was part of my own family, which, in fact, she was. But there was something about that little girl. For one, she looked exactly like Bella and Edward... and me. I just couldn't get past that. There was also the fact that she seemed to be changing at a fast pace. When I met her, she looked to be two or three years old. That was a year ago. Now she looked to be around nine! Yeah, I think you could probably understand why I had thoughts that I was going crazy.

And that wasn't even the end of it. I had heaps of evidence to go along with my story that I was going crazy. Even people that I had known for many years seemed to be total strangers to me now. My best friend's son could transform into a wolf! It's like I've been pushed into some horror story here. It seems that most of the young members of the Quileute tribe are also wolves. And now it seems that there are also these other half-human half-wolves that had come into town and they are the reason why there are even these attacks on animals and humans around the Olympic Peninsula in the first place!

What was I going to say to the Seattle police when they came to Forks later today? They wanted to know any information that I knew about these attacks. Oh, I knew a lot. Not that I could tell them that. How could I tell them the truth? That there are werewolves attacking humans and animals in the small towns of Washington state? How could I tell them that there are also these other wolves, who are actually members of the Quileute tribe in La Push, who are the only ones who can kill these werewolves? The police would send the good ol' sheriff of Forks (_sheriff of Transylvania, more like!_) straight to the loony bin if I told them that.

I wished I could just arrest the Graysons now and ask questions later, but my daughter warned me to stay away from them. It seemed to be a pretty good idea, but as the sheriff of Forks, it's pretty damn difficult to stay away from criminals. I was just supposed to sit back, distract the Seattle police, and let those boys in La Push, most of whom were still kids, take care of business. Just what had the world come to?

Suddenly, a knock on the door of my office interrupted me from my thoughts. I looked up and could see Hal Dayton through the glass of the door. I gave a "come in" motion with my hand and he opened the door and walked in.

"What's up, Hal?" I asked in my best attempt at a calm voice.

"Boys in Seattle just called, Chief," Dayton said, "Said they'd be here around noon."

"Right," I said, "Tell Bonnie over at the Super 8 to set up four rooms for our guests."

"Will do," Dayton said.

He turned to leave the room and paused in his step.

"Yes, Hal?" I asked.

"Just wondering if you're okay, Chief," Dayton said, "You seem a little down in the dumps today."

"I'm fine," I said, "Thanks."

"How's Isabella?" Dayton asked.

"She's great," I said, "She's staying around Forks for a few more days."

"Great," Dayton said, "Say, if she's still around here after all this business with the Seattle police gets settled, how about you invite her over to my place? We can have a little barbeque or something. Watch the Mariners or something too."

"Sounds great," I said.

"I look forward to it," Dayton said, "Right. Well, I'll just call Bonnie."

"Thanks, Hal," I said.

Dayton tipped his hat and walked out of my office, closing the door behind him. I looked up at the television. Good Morning America was on at the moment. A rock band was singing in the studio. The sound was turned all the way down low, but I didn't care. I didn't recognize the group and it was probably just some teen sensation. I stared at the top sheet of paper in front of me. I had written down some false information about the attacks, hoping it would lead the Seattle police away from La Push and the Graysons home. All I knew was that if the police discovered anything about the Graysons and the La Push kids, then the attacks in the Olympic Peninsula would be the least of my worries.

I'd been on the phone over the past few days with the Seattle police, talking about what was to be expected in Forks when they came around. There were talks about holding a town meeting in the Forks High School gym, and I was all for it... until I heard about the Graysons. If there was a town meeting, the Graysons would find out that the Seattle police were investigating, and then the good people of Forks would probably have a real mess on their hands. I made an excuse and said that the High School gym wasn't going to be a good place, and the police said that a town meeting didn't matter anyway. They'd ask people around town if anyone knew any helpful information. I was okay with it. As long as they didn't go in the direction of the Graysons and La Push.

Suddenly, the phone rang and I picked it up. I expected it to be the Seattle police again.

"Hey, Chief," the voice on the other end of the line said.

It was Billy Black.

"Hey, Billy," I said, with a sigh, "What's up?"

"I was just wondering what was going on," Billy said.

"Well, the boys from Seattle are coming our way today," I said.

"Hmm," Billy said.

"You have something on your mind, Billy?" I asked.

"Have you talked to my boy lately?" Billy asked.

"At Bella's party, yeah," I said, an eyebrow raised, "You know that."

"I take it you know what's going on around here," Billy said.

"I got the gist of it," I said.

"I need to know exactly what Jacob told you," Billy said.

I paused. What was Billy Black wanting?

"He told me that the boys in La Push had nothing to do with these attacks in the Peninsula," I said.

"Which is the truth," Billy said. "Did he tell you _what_ was behind these attacks?"

I noticed he said "what" and not "who".

"He did," I said.

I heard a very audible sigh on the other end of the line.

"He also told me that there was nothing I could do about it either," I said, "And he told me that it looks like your boys are going to have to take care of... of this stuff."

"He did, did he?" Billy asked.

"Yeah," I said, "Why? Was he wrong? Can your boys not kill these... these things?"

Another very audible sigh.

"Billy, I need to know," I said, "As sheriff of Forks, I need to know how to get rid of these things. I told you. I got boys from Seattle coming our way, and they are going to want to know what I know. What do I tell 'em?"

"Don't tell them anything, Charlie," Billy said, "Nothing about the Graysons."

"So you do know its the Graysons," I said.

"Yes," Billy said, "I know. And I know that you won't be able to do anything about them. Trust me. They'll be out of here soon... one way or another."

"You're not worried, Billy?" I asked, "I mean, it's your son and his friends, for God sakes! They'll be the ones in danger here."

"They've got it covered, Charlie," Billy said, sighing, "Look, I just wanted to make sure that you knew what was going on and that you didn't do anything stupid. I'm here for you, Charlie. If you need anything, you can always come to La Push. We'll be here for you."

"Yeah, I know," I said, sighing, "Thanks, Billy."

"Call me if you need anything," Billy said, "Promise me."

"Yeah, sure," I said.

"All right," Billy said, "Take care of yourself. And don't let those boys in blue come our way."

"You don't let those... things come our way," I said.

"We got it covered, Charlie," Billy said again, "See you later."

"Yeah, Billy," I said, "See you."

I heard a click on the end of the line and I hung up the phone. It seemed to me that Billy was holding something from me. I was worried. I couldn't help thinking: what if my old friend was wrong? What if those boys in La Push couldn't make these things go away? They were just boys! Some of them were just into their teens! I knew something could go wrong, and if it did, there wasn't anything I could do. I knew well enough that I couldn't kill them. Billy told me that. Jacob told me that. Even Bella and the Cullens told me that. I don't know how they knew about these... these werewolves.

Suddenly, I was more worried then I had been. Why did Bella want to stay in Forks? Did she want to make sure that me and her friends were going to be safe? She couldn't do anything about this. Why hadn't she planned on leaving as soon as she found out? I had to do something. I couldn't let Bella stay in Forks as long as those things were still here. I reached for the phone once again, ready to call her cellphone, when there was another knock on the door.

"Come in," I said, without looking up.

The door opened.

"Chief," Dayton said, "You have visitors."

"Send them in," I said.

"You may go in," Dayton said to someone.

I looked up as Esme Cullen and Nessie walked in. I stood up, surprised.

"Esme," I said, "What's –?"

"Everything's fine," Esme said, quickly, "Bella and Edward wanted some time to themselves, so Nessie's spending some time with me."

"I was just about to call Bella," I said, "There's something I need to tell her."

"Grampa!" Nessie said, smiling.

She ran over to me and I picked her up, with a little difficulty.

"Sooner or later," I said to her, "you're going to be too big for this!"

Esme laughed. Nessie giggled too. I sat down with her in my chair.

"Come," I said to Esme, "Sit down. I could use a little company."

"Oh, I'm sure you're busy," Esme said.

"Not busy enough for my granddaughter and extended family," I said.

Esme smiled and sat down.

"You said you were going to call Bella?" she asked me.

"Yeah," I said, "I'm a little worried about her. She seems to want to stay in Forks for a few days, but with everything that is going on..."

"She'll be fine, Charlie," Esme said.

"I don't know," I said, "These --"

I looked at Nessie. I didn't want to say "werewolves" in front of her.

"These things," I continued. "They're pretty dangerous, it sounds like."

"Yeah," Esme said.

"How much do you know about them?" I asked, "I mean, it seems your family knows more about these things than most people should."

"I guess you can call it a hobby," Esme said, laughing.

My eyebrows raised. I didn't see anything funny about this.

"So you knew about the boys in La Push and these things?" I asked.

"For quite some time, yes," Esme said.

"Esme," I said, "What I want to know is... if you knew about them, then why didn't you want to leave from here? As soon as you heard about all these attacks, surely you would have suspected..."

"Charlie, we love Forks," Esme said, "It's been our home for a while. We couldn't leave while there was this danger."

"But don't you want Bella and your son to leave?" I asked, "Especially since Nessie's here..."

I looked at Nessie, and she just smiled. I couldn't finish my sentence.

"Bella doesn't want to leave," Esme said, "I'm sure you know better than I do how hard-headed your daughter is. She won't leave while you are her friends are in danger."

"Even when she is in danger?" I asked.

"Charlie, surely you don't think we'd protect her, do you?" Esme asked.

"How can you defend yourselves against these... these things?!" I asked.

I was starting to get a little mad. Esme may have only been an adopted mother, but it looked like she loved Edward and those other kids as much as I loved Bella. How could she be fine with all this?

"Well," Esme said, "I'd ask you the same thing. Surely you know that even the finest in Forks can't do anything about these things."

"I'm not leaving as long as Forks is threatened," I said.

"And neither is Bella, Charlie," Esme said.

I sighed.

"I'm still going to talk to Bella," I said.

"Grampa," Nessie said, "You don't have to be worried about Mommy."

"I'm worried about you too, Nessie," I said.

"Mommy and Daddy will protect me," Nessie said.

"I know that," I said.

"They'll protect you too," Nessie said.

"Well, you seem pretty busy, Charlie," Esme said, "We'll just be going. Nessie and I were going to go shopping anyway."

"Okay," I said, then looked at Nessie, "You be good, Nessie. I'll see you later."

She smiled, nodded and hugged me around my neck, then let go and jumped down.

"Take care of yourself, Charlie," Esme said.

Everyone seemed to be telling me that today.

"You too," I said.

Esme smiled and left the office with Nessie, who was waving at me as they left. I waved back and gave her a reassuring smile. Nessie just grinned. As soon as they were out of the office, I picked up the phone and dialed the number of Bella's cellphone. It rang and rang. Then...

"Hello," Bella's voice said.

"Bella," I said, "It's your --"

"This is Bella Cullen," Bella's voice said, and I realized it was her voice-mail message, "Either I'm busy or I forgot my phone –"

The latter seemed more accurate.

"So leave me a message after the beep and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks and have a great day."

Beep.

"Bella, it's your Dad," I said, "Call me as soon as you can. I just want to talk to you about something. Even if I'm busy, I'll still talk to you if you call, so don't hesitate to call me back. I'll have my cell on me and I'll be at my office for most of the day, so please call. I love you. Always have and always will. Talk to you soon."

I hung up the phone and sighed. I leaned back against the chair and closed my eyes. This was going to be a long day. Suddenly, there was yet another knock on the door. I opened my eyes and looked at the door. Hal Dayton was looking at me and pointing at the TV. I gave him the thumbs up and walked over to the TV and turned it up. A commercial about body lotion ended, and Good Morning America returned. Diane Sawyer appeared.

"If you haven't been living under a rock for the past month," Diane said, "I'm sure you all know about this next story. Over the past few weeks, horrifying incidents have been happening in the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State."

Horrifying. Yeah. Diane Sawyer didn't know just how true her words sounded.

"A number of attacks have been reported around northern Washington," Diane said, "and they are becoming more and more horrible as the days go by. People and their pets have been getting mauled by one or more wild animals. Some believe these animals to be large bears. Others don't have a clue what it could be."

What about wolves, Diane?

"The most bizarre part about this whole thing," Diane said, "Is that these attacks aren't just confined to a town or two, but to at least half a dozen. And they are spread out all over the Olympic Peninsula. Miles apart from each other. The only thing in common with these small towns are that they are all near the Olympia Wildlife Park and it is believed that these animals have come from that park. We now go to a sister station in Seattle for more. Allison Parker is standing by with more."

It switched to a young woman standing outside a building. I knew what that building was. It was the Seattle police station. I'd been there a few times over the years.

"Thank you, Diane," Allison said, "I am standing outside the Seattle, Washington police station where there has been activity in and out of here all day."

As if to confirm this, the sound of a siren was heard near Allison. The camera turned toward the street where two police cars were heading down the road.

"Police cars like these two have been coming out of this station for hours now," Allison said, "But they aren't just patrolling around the city of Seattle. They are going out toward the Olympic Peninsula, and to towns like Kalaloch and Beaver and Forks. A police correspondent told me earlier today that the police are going to each of these towns to do a joint investigation with them, and it will combine each police force into one. Because these attacks are so spread out, there is no telling where the next one could be."

"They believe there could be more attacks, Allison?" Diane's voice said.

"That's right, Diane," Allison said, nodding, "What is more shocking is that the correspondent I talked to said that he thinks it would be wise to wait until there is another attack. He hopes there will be witnesses."

"There have been witnesses already though, haven't there?" Diane's voice asked.

"That is true as well, Diane," Allison said, "Witnesses have seen what looked like large animals roaming around, and it was at the same time as these attacks. They couldn't see it very well, so they didn't know what it was. The strange thing is this, though. The police still believe there are people behind this as well. The correspondent we talked to said that some of the evidence they found doesn't just point to a wild animal."

Evidence? I hadn't heard about this evidence. Looks like the Seattle police had some explaining to do. I had some thoughts about what they might have found, and I had a feeling it was pointing them, unknowingly to most, straight to the werewolves.

"The police believe," Allison continued, "That if they can find these people, it will stop these attacks once and for all."

"Allison, I guess I should ask you this," Diane's voice said, "In your opinion, from what you heard from the Seattle police, what do you think is behind this? Is it wild animals or is it humans?"

"I'd say it's both, Diane," Allison said.

I sighed. Allison didn't know just how right she was. The screen went back to Diane in the Good Morning America studio.

"All right," Diane said, shaking her head sadly. "I hope the good people in Washington State can find out what is happening up there and stop it. Thanks, Allison."

I turned off the TV and sat back in my chair behind the large desk. I looked up just in time to see Hal coming to the door. Before he could knock, I motioned him inside.

"Did you call Bonnie?" I asked, when he walked in.

"Huh?" Hal asked, "Oh. Oh, yeah. She said she'll have four rooms ready. Were you listening to the TV, Chief?"

I nodded.

"I can't believe it," Hal said, "You've been on the phone all week with the boys in Seattle. Did they say anything about what they said on the TV. They are hoping for another attack? And they think there is people behind this?"

"I think they were waiting until they got here to tell me that," I said, sighing.

"We can't just sit on our rears and wait for another attack, Chief," Hal said, "It might happen right here in Forks!"

I put my bravest face on.

"We'll take care of it, Hal," I said.

He looked at me, a questioning glance in his eyes.

"You don't know who's behind this, do you?" Hal asked.

"I have my suspicions," I said. "But I may be wrong. I'll know more when those boys from Seattle come along. You tell them to come right in here when they do, okay?"

"Sure, Chief," Hal said, "You got it."

I gave a reassuring smile and motioned him out of the office. He nodded, and walked out of the room. I sighed and glanced at my watch. It wasn't even ten-o-clock yet. This was going to be a long day.

------------------------------

**Chapter finished! Well, I had more plans for this chapter, but I think it'll wait for the next chapter. This was better than I expected. I didn't think I could do very well in Charlie's PoV, but I thought it was pretty good. Not finished with Chief Swan yet. More to come next chapter!**

**Feedback would be most appreciated.**


	15. Joint Investigation

**Chapter 15  
****Joint Investigation**

**(Charlie's PoV – Eleven-thirty a.m.)  
**

Knowing that the Seattle police would be in town around noon, I took an early lunch break, and headed for my favorite diner in Forks.

"You're usual, Chief?" Stacy, the head waitress, asked when I walked into the restaurant.

"Sure," I said as I took my usual seat near the window.

"Coming up in a bit," Stacy said.

I nodded. I then noticed Mrs. Newton and her son, Mike, sitting at the table behind me. They were whispering to each other. A moment later, Mike turned to me.

"Hey, Chief?" Mike said.

"Yeah, Mike," I said.

"I was just wondering if you'd heard from Bella, lately," Mike said.

I sighed. I didn't know what to say. I was under the impression that Bella didn't want any of her friends to know about her condition. Bella would probably be angry if I told anyone of her friends that she was back in town.

"She and Edward are in New Hampshire," I said.

"Oh," Mike said, "Well, Mom thought she had seen Bella at Lyle Grayson's party, so I was just curious."

"Probably wasn't her, Mike," I said, "I'd know if she was back in town."

"Of course, sir," Mike said. He paused and looked back at me. "So any updates on these attacks around here?"

"Not much," I said, "The Seattle police are coming this way."

"Yeah, I heard about that on TV today," Mike said, "You have any idea what is doing all this, Chief?"

"I wish I did," I said.

"You'll find it," Mike said, "I know you will."

"Yeah, thanks," I said.

"Can you tell Bella I'm just wanting to know how she is?" Mike asked, "I mean, when you talk to her..."

"Sure, Mike," I said, "She'd be happy to hear that."

"Thanks, Chief," Mike said.

"Yep," I said.

Just then, Stacy brought over my cheeseburger, fries and coffee, and it ended the conversation with Mike.

"You're usual, Chief," Stacy said.

"Thanks, Stacy," I said.

"You say hi to those boys from Seattle for us, won't you?" Stacy asked.

"I'm sure you'll have that opportunity before too long," I said, "They'll want to talk to everyone in Forks."

"We'd be happy to help, Charlie," Stacy said, "We just want these attacks to be over with."

"So do I, Stacy," I said.

Stacy smiled, patted my shoulder and walked away. I started on my lunch, knowing I needed to hurry if I was to meet with the Seattle police when they came into town.

-------------------------------------------

After lunch, I returned to the station. Hal was on the phone.

"He just walked in," he said, waving at me. "Yep. See you then. We appreciate it."

Hal hung up the phone noisily, then looked up at me.

"Boys from Seattle, Chief," Hal said, "They'll be here in about fifteen minutes or less."

"Thanks, Hal," I said.

I walked into my office. As soon as I sat down at my chair, my cellphone rang. I took it from my pocket, opened it, pressed "talk" and put it to my ear.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hey, Dad," Bella said, "Is this a bad time?"

"Bella," I said, "No. Great time."

"I just got your voice-mail," Bella said, "You sounded worried. You wanted to talk to me?"

"Esme and Nessie visited me earlier," I said.

"Esme said she might stop by the station before she went shopping," Bella said.

"Yeah," I said, "Look, Bella. Don't you think you should consider going back to New Hampshire? I mean, with everything that is going on around here..."

Bella sighed.

"Charlie," she said, "I --"

"I know what you are going to say, Bells," I said, "You want to stay in Forks and make sure everyone is safe. But I don't see why you can't do that from outside of Forks. I may not be able to do anything about these... these things, but neither can you. You have to think of Nessie now, sweetie."

"Dad, I'm not leaving Forks until this is over," Bella said.

She sighed again.

"Look," she said, "I promise I'll stay out of trouble. But it's Jacob and his friends who are going to be dealing with this. I'm not going to go away and not know how they are doing."

I sighed. I knew I couldn't win this.

"You're going to stay out of this too, aren't you, Charlie?" Bella asked.

"I'm going to lead the guys from Seattle away from La Push and the Graysons," I said, "I-I'll make up something."

"Good plan," Bella said.

"Bella," I said, "I need to know something. How did you know about these werewolves?"

"I-I heard it from Billy," Bella said, "It was one of those Quileute legends, and it turned out to be true."

"Esme said she and her family knew about these werewolves for a while," I said.

"Most of it is guesswork, Charlie," Bella said, "Billy knows about it more than we do. And he knows it from the stories the elders told him."

"Why didn't he tell me any of this?" I asked, "He's supposed to be my friend."

"He is your friend," Bella said, "Some things are just hard to say."

"Yeah," I said, "Oh, Bells, before I forget. I was at the diner. The Newton boy was there and he was asking about you. Apparently his mother might have seen you at the Grayson's party."

Bella sighed.

"I'll talk to him," she said, "I've been meaning to call my friends just to check in. They don't need to know I'm back in town. You didn't say anything did you?"

"I told him it probably wasn't you," I said.

"Thanks, Dad," Bella said.

"Yeah," I said.

"You take care, okay?" Bella asked.

Why did everyone insist on telling me that today?

"Yeah, Bells," I said, "You too. I'll see you soon. I love you."

"I love you too, Dad," Bella said, "Bye."

She hung up before I could get another word out. I pressed "end" on the phone and returned it to my pocket. I then looked down at the large stack of paper that was dedicated to the current investigation and the stuff concerning the Seattle police's visit. While I waited for the boys from Seattle to come, I quickly read over the stuff in front of me. I had to keep my story straight, or they would know I was hiding something from them. I couldn't let them know anything about the werewolves or the boys in La Push.

I was so focused on my reading that I didn't hear three Seattle police cars pulls up to the Forks Sheriff's office. What broke me from my concentration was Hal knocking on the door of my office. I looked up. Standing behind Hal, outside the door, was three men and a woman dressed in Seattle Police uniforms. I motioned for him to come in, and he opened the door.

"Our guests have arrived, Chief," Hal said.

"Thanks, Hal," I said, standing up.

"I'll just leave you guys alone," Hal said, as he walked around the police officers and left the office, shutting the door behind him.

"Charlie Swan," I said, introducing myself, "Chief of Police, Forks, Washington."

"I am Sergeant Brent Cross," the man nearest my desk said, "We met on the phone."

"Yes, of course," I said.

"This is Jerry Davis," motioning to the man near him, "And Joe Harris and Natalie Sears. I assure you, they are three of Seattle's finest."

"As are you, I expect," I said.

Cross chuckled.

"I'm sorry I don't have very many chairs in here," I said.

"Oh, it's fine," Cross said, taking one of the two empty seats on the other side of my desk.

The woman, Sears, took the other chair. Davis and Harris remained standing.

"It seems, Chief Swan," Cross said, "That when it comes to these attacks that have been happening, that Forks is the safest of the towns on the Olympic Peninsula."

"We've been lucky," I said.

"Though your town hasn't been a stranger to similar attacks," Cross said.

"No, sir," I said.

"Well, I guess where I'd like for us to start," Cross said, "Is what evidence you might have picked up, or heard about."

I tried to keep a straight face.

"Not much," I said, "We've had a few new residents come into Forks over the past few months. But I figured that they were probably residents of Seattle who decided to leave because of all the events that happened there recently."

I noticed the uncomfortable looks on the faces of Officer Sears and Officer Harris.

"Anybody interesting?" Cross asked.

"Not really," I said, "Everyone is pretty straightforward, and normal as ever."

Officers Harris and Davis were muttering to each other. I ignored them.

"I'd like to ask a few questions of my own," I said.

"Sure," Cross said, "Don't be afraid to ask. This is a joint investigation. We want to be able to share the information we have with you, and we hope you will do the same.

"Right," I said, "Well, I was listening to the news today, and I heard a few things that surprised me."

"Oh?" Cross asked.

"Yes," I said, "You believe there are humans in the mix of all this? I'm sorry, but from everything I've heard, I'm under the impression it was wild animals. There were witnesses saying they say a large furry animal, perhaps a bear."

"May I take this one, Sarge?" Officer Sears asked Cross.

Cross nodded.

"Chief Swan," Sears said, "I --"

"Call me Charlie," I said.

"Of course," Sears said, "Charlie. I'm sure you know that these attacks on the Olympic Peninsula are very widespread."

"I'm well aware of it," I said.

"Well," Sears said, "Do you expect wild animals to be as widespread as this?"

"It's out of the ordinary, yes," I said.

But what around Forks, Washington wasn't out of the ordinary?

"We don't like to think," Sears said, "that there are a bunch of wild animals just randomly attacking people and their pets. While the evidence supports large animals behind these attacks, we also believe that it is people controlling these animals."

"People controlling the animals?" I asked.

Well, I must hand it to them. It was some theory, but it wasn't as bizarre as werewolves.

"Yes," Sears said, "We've had animal experts in Seattle, and they think that these people are using some kind of device on these animals and forcing them to attack people. Their first thought was that it was animals from the Wildlife Park, but of course, we can't be sure about that. The park is enormous, and it is just impossible to keep track of every one of those animals. We also suspect that there may be some people working in the Wildlife Park who are the ones behind these attacks."

Well, I was looking for a way to keep the Seattle police away from the theories of werewolves, and it looked like they were doing fine on their own. I had to go with it.

"Well, it's a better theory than I could come up with," I said.

"You like it?" Sears asked.

"It's bizarre, I'll give you that," I said, chuckling, "But here I thought it was just random acts of nature. Wild animals just randomly attacking people. I like your theory. So if you are working on this theory, why come out to small towns like Forks? Why not just question everybody in the Wildlife Park?"

"Theories are only theories until they are proven, Chief Swan," Cross said, "It's a waiting game."

"A waiting game?" I asked. "Well, I may be completely wrong here, but it sounds like you want someone else to get attacked, Sarge?"

"It's the best thing we can come up with," Cross said, "That is why we have our finest out here helping your finest. We're waiting for these culprits to show their ugly faces so we can catch them in the act."

"Even if it means more lives in danger?" I asked.

"I'm sorry, Chief," Cross said, "It's the best --"

"Best thing you can come up with," I said, "Right."

Right. And while the finest from Seattle are investigating something that came out of a science fiction novel, I know that there is something happening that is only ever seen in a horror novel!

"Look," Cross said, "I know what you're thinking. We'll make sure that none of the good people in Forks get hurt. That is why we're out here. We'll question the residents in Forks and we'll leave them alone after that. Maybe they know something we don't, eh?"

Yeah. I know of a handful of people who know things Seattle's finest don't. I wasn't going to tell them that though.

"I'll help any way I can," I said.

Well, almost any way.

"That's all we ask, Chief," Cross said.

I spent the next couple of hours sharing evidence back and forth with Seattle's finest, knowing full well that I already knew who was behind the attacks. As a police officer, it tore me in two to keep things from my fellow officers. But as a man, and a father, I was okay with it as long as it didn't harm anyone I loved.

----------------------------------

**(Bella's PoV)**It had been a very long day. It was shortly after noon and I was at the Cullen family house along with Edward and most of the family. Nessie and Esme were still shopping.

Leah Clearwater and Louis Grayson were now back on the Quileute reservation. Jacob called me about an hour after Leah was rescued to tell me that everyone was safe. I told him I would visit La Push the next day, knowing we had a lot to discuss.

It was only after I ended that call that I realized I had a voice-mail. It was from my Dad, and he had sounded really worried. I called him and it was a pretty difficult conversation. There are many things I would like to tell my father, and most of them qualify under the "need to know" list, and my father doesn't need to know about it. My father is under the impression, probably thanks to me, the Cullens and Jacob's pack, that the shape-shifters are the ones who will rid us of the werewolves. So, of course, he wanted me far away from Forks as possible. I couldn't tell him that it wasn't Jacob's pack that could get rid of the werewolves, but that it was me and the rest of the Cullens who could. I wished I could have told him that. I really did.

"Your father's just worried, Bella," Edward told me, after I told him about the phone call, "He just wants to know that you'll be safe."

"I know that," I said, "Now that Dad knows about the Quileutes and the werewolves, he's getting paranoid."

"Paranoid?" Edward said, an eyebrow raised.

"I don't think we should have told him that the Quileutes could kill the werewolves, Edward," I said.

"You told him what you thought was best without having to tell him the truth," Edward said. "You had to let him know that humans couldn't kill the werewolves."

"Yes, but now he's putting all his trust into the Quileutes!" I said.

"At least he's back in good graces with them," Edward said, grinning.

"This isn't funny," I said.

Edward sighed.

"I know it isn't, Bella," he said, "Look, we'll take care of it."

"Promise me that my father won't get hurt, Edward," I said.

"I'll try my best," Edward said.

I sighed and leaned into his chest.

"He knows what he's doing," Edward said, "He knows to stay away from the Graysons. He'll probably lead the Seattle police away from that direction."

"I just want this to be over as soon as possible," I said.

"It will be," Edward said.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Well," Edward said, "We're going to talk to Louis Grayson tomorrow, aren't we? That's a start."

"No, Edward," I said, "I'm talking to Louis Grayson tomorrow. Alone."

He looked at me and narrowed his eyes.

"No," he said, "You're not --"

"Edward, you don't have to worry about me," I said. "I have to go alone. Louis isn't going to like having too many vampires confronting him at once."

Edward growled. I sighed.

"Look," I said, "You can be near La Push, just in case. But I can't risk the possibility that Louis could get spooked."

"I don't know," Edward said.

"You know very well what will happen if Louis Grayson goes back to his family," I said. "We're lucky enough that the Graysons don't know who we are yet. We have surprise on our side still."

"Bella's right, Edward," a voice said.

Edward and I looked up. Carlisle had walked into the room.

"We can get as close as we need to tomorrow," he said to Edward, "But we'll let Bella do what she needs to do."

"Look," I said, "I'll talk to Louis. I'll make sure he understands what we have planned. I have a good feeling he'll be on our side."

Edward looked at me for a full minute. His expression was set in stone. He then sighed and nodded.

"Fine," he said, "But if he gives me one reason --"

"Then you can do whatever you want," I said, "I'll be fine with it."

"Okay," Edward said, then turned back to Carlisle.

"Who'll be going with us?" he asked.

"Emmett and Jasper," Carlisle said, "Emmett's needed in case we do have to fight. Jasper will be able to calm down everyone in case it gets heated up."

"His powers work on werewolves?" I asked.

"As far as we know," Carlisle said, nodding, "I figured, if it's all right with you, Nessie can go with Esme again. Alice and Rosalie will stay here in case we get any visitors. Alice will be able to foresee any visitors, so they'll be fine. I expect the Seattle police will be starting their investigations tomorrow."

"Yeah," Edward said, "And Rosalie can just seduce the officers."

"I heard that!" a sharp voice said.

I heard a booming laugh as Rosalie and Emmett walked into the room.

"What's going on?" Emmett asked.

"Just discussing matters about our visit to La Push, tomorrow," Carlisle said.

"Or rather, _my _visit," I said.

"If we're lucky," Edward said.

"We get to finally introduce ourselves to Louis Grayson?" Emmett said, "Wonderful."

"We won't be doing anything," Edward said. "We'll just be standing guard. Bella has insisted to talk with Louis herself."

"Bella against a werewolf," Emmett said, "That should be interesting."

"I don't think we'll have to worry about anything happening," I said, "From what Jacob said, Louis is okay with us."

"We'll find out about that tomorrow," Edward said.

"Until then," Carlisle said, "I don't think we should worry anymore about it."

"Fine with me," Emmett said, shrugging, "Not like we'll lose any sleep over it."

Emmett laughed at his own joke. He walked over to the couch and turned on the TV.

"I wonder if there is a baseball game on," he said.

He switched through the channels, until, suddenly, Edward told him to stop. Edward walked over to the TV and I followed him.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Edward shook his head and pointed at the television. I looked at it. The channel was on the Seattle news. A logo appeared on the television that read: Breaking News.

It switched, and showed a helicopter's view of a house. Five police cars, an ambulance and a fire truck were outside the house. On the bottom, bold words read:

**3 Dead in Mauling in Kalaloch**

I gasped, but Edward put a hand up. Somebody on the television started talking.

"Breaking News in Kalaloch," the news anchor said, "We have reports that three bodies were found inside this house. We cannot confirm this, but one body may be that of a little girl."

I gasped again.

"Early reports say that there are signs of mauling attacks on all three bodies," the news anchor continued, "There were no reports of any animals killed in this attack. No sign of the culprits in this attack."

"Turn it off," Rosalie said, disgusted.

Emmett turned off the television. I tried to say something, but I couldn't find my voice. A little girl? The other two were probably her parents. Before anyone could say anything, I heard the front door open and close. Esme and Nessie walked in. I stood up and walked over to Nessie and picked her up, hugging her close.

"What happened?" Esme said, seeing the look on my face.

"Three bodies found in Kalaloch," Carlisle said, "All mauled. One was a little girl."

Esme put a hand to her mouth.

"It's them," I said, "It has to be."

"I know," Edward said.

"Do you think this is in response to us rescuing Leah?" I asked.

Nobody answered. Everyone was just looking at each other. I only looked at Nessie and Edward. Nessie put her hand on my face and I saw a frightened wave of emotions. I could tell she was only worried about me and her family.

"I'm fine, Nessie," I said.

I couldn't tell her what was really going through my mind. The mauling in Kalaloch was the worst attack that had happened since the attacks had begun. And I knew exactly why: the Graysons were sending a message.

Straight to us.

--------------------------------  
**Cliffhanger! Well, a lot has come up. I don't know how much I'm going to have the Seattle police in the story. I was originally thinking they'll just be a little annoying factor, but there might be more with them.**

Feedback would be great!


	16. A Sheep In Wolf's Clothing

**Chapter 16  
****A Sheep In Wolf's Clothing**

**(Bella's PoV)**

The long day turned into a very long night. The news of the mauling in Kalaloch was fresh in my mind. Nessie finally got to sleep around ten-o-clock, which was way past her bedtime, after I read her a couple of her favorite bedtime stories. When I went into my bedroom, Edward was reading a book. From the cover, it looked like "A Tale of Two Cities". He looked very immersed in the book, so I walked back out.

I found the small carrying case that held my laptop and its accessories in it. I set up the laptop and hooked it up with the internet. I checked my e-mail. Nothing but spam and more spam. As I looked through my e-mail, I was reminded of the last thing I had discussed with my father.

One of my old friends, Mike Newton, had talked to my father earlier today at the diner. I hadn't thought too much about my old friends since I had become a vampire. It was in my best intentions to leave them alone. I couldn't let them see me or they would know something was up. They were less oblivious than my father. So I had planned to ignore them. But my father seemed to think I shouldn't ignore them. And as long as my old friends were asking him questions about me, I was going to have to do something about it. So for the next couple of hours, I e-mailed my friends and told them I was still in New Hampshire, and that I was still doing pretty well in Dartmouth College. The only problem would be if they saw me while I was in Forks. I told them that I'd heard about the attacks in the Olympic Peninsula and hoped everyone was doing well.

The best thing about e-mailing my friends is that it kept my mind away from the recent attack in Kalaloch, at least for a while. But once I finished my last e-mail to Jessica, and realized I had nothing more to do, it came back into my mind in waves. I decided to search through the internet for random things, and ended up on a news story of the recent attack. It had become a major news story. This was the most serious of all the attacks. It was the first attack that had to do with humans only; no pets. As I was reading the story, I couldn't help but think about the reasons behind this attack. The Graysons had become more vicious. They were acting on the fury of Leah's escape and the betrayal of their oldest son, Louis. This was not just a random attack. This was an attack to provoke the enemies of the werewolves. They hoped we couldn't take any more attacks and that we would just attack them head-on. As I was reading through the article about today's attack, a sudden thought came to my mind, and I turned off the laptop.

I walked back into the bedroom, where Edward was still reading "A Tale of Two Cities". He looked up at me and put the book down. I knew he saw the worried look in my face.

"What is it?" he asked, sitting up.

I walked over to the bed and laid down beside him.

"Bella," Edward said, "You know I can't read your mind. You need to tell me."

"I think the Graysons might know who we are," I said.

"What?" Edward asked, "Impossible."

"When we were in the meadow," I said, "They found us."

"They knew we were there," Edward said, "They didn't see us."

"What if they did?" I asked, "I mean... they don't know where we live, and they don't know how many vampires there are. But they know who we are. They know who you are. They know who I am. And..."

"They know who Nessie is," Edward said, through his teeth.

"Exactly," I said, "All because we were at Lyle's party. Remember what Lyle said when he first met you?"

Edward stared at me.

"He noticed how cold your hands were," I said, "And we know he knows about vampires, so it must have come up in his mind when he realized there were vampires in Forks. He may not have seen us, but I don't think he needed to. I didn't even think about this, until I got to thinking about that attack in Kalaloch. The victims were two parents and their little girl. It can't be a coincidence, Edward. He's provoking us."

"I hope you're wrong, Bella," Edward said, "Do you realize what would happen if you were right?"

"We'll be able to beat them, Edward," I said.

"I am not talking about them, Bella," Edward said, "Did you forget who else Lyle Grayson knows?"

I looked into his eyes, then I realized what he meant. I gasped.

"I have to call him!" I said, reaching for the cellphone in my pocket.

"There's no need," Edward said.

"Edward, he's my father!" I said.

"He is very well protected," Edward said.

"Humans can't fight werewolves, Edward!" I said.

"You think I don't know that?" Edward asked, "I didn't mean that kind of protection. Alice and Jasper are in the forest near your home."

This surprised me. As much as I was grateful, it was still confusing.

"You knew?" I asked, "You knew my father could be a target?"

"No," Edward said, "I'm just as surprised as you are. Though I wish I would have thought about it."

"Then how --" I began.

Edward put a finger on my mouth and silenced me.

"You honestly think," he said, "that we wouldn't keep an eye on your father, when there are werewolves in the area? Jasper and Alice are in the forest near your father's house. About thirty minutes ago, Carlisle called me and told me that Alice said everything was fine. Emmett and Rosalie are going to trade them spots in a while, and they'll stay there until your father goes to work."

"And you didn't tell me?" I asked.

Edward shrugged.

"It didn't come up," he said.

"Why can't we guard his house?" I asked.

"I offered, but Alice wouldn't agree," Edward said, "We should be near Nessie. And my powers don't work on a werewolf."

"Neither does Alice's!" I said.

"She's learned that it is only a limitation," Edward said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"She can see around a werewolf," Edward said, "She's done it with Nessie and with Jacob's tribe. But that isn't all. If her future-sight was suddenly blinded, it would mean that a werewolf could have something to do with it."

A sudden thought came to me.

"My powers are useless against werewolves, aren't they?" I asked, "My shield."

"Unfortunately," Edward said, through his teeth, "Physical attacks can go straight through it."

"Maybe if I trained it," I suggested. "We were so focused on the other powers last time --"

"You have enough to worry about right now," Edward said, "I don't want you distracted from the task ahead of you tomorrow."

"Good luck with that," I muttered.

Edward smiled and kissed my forehead. I grinned.

"When you said you didn't want me distracted," I said, inching closer to him, "Did you mean you didn't want anything to distract me?"

He grinned and kissed me on the lips this time. I took that as a no.

---------------------------------------  
There were many things that Edward did that made me very happy to have him forever. One of those things was that he was able to distract me for as long as he wanted. In this case, all night long. The next morning, I dressed Nessie in a nice little casual dress for shopping, and Esme made her a big breakfast.

"Are you sure I can't go with you, Mommy?" Nessie asked when she was eating breakfast.

I growled at Emmett. Shortly after we came up to the house, Emmett and Rosalie returned from guarding my father's house. He had asked me if we were still going to La Push, and unfortunately Nessie overheard.

"Maybe tomorrow, Nessie," I said.

Nessie still looked sad.

"Nessie," Esme said, "You do want to go shopping, right? And we're going to visit Grampa Charlie again. Doesn't that sound fun?"

Nessie nodded. It was so easy to make her happy.

Shortly after Nessie finished breakfast, she and Esme were on the road. I called Jacob and asked him if it was all right to come over early. He said it was fine. I didn't tell him that Edward and the others were coming along.

So we didn't make too much commotion going to La Push, Edward, Jasper, Emmett, Carlisle and I were all settled into Carlisle's car. It was the only vehicle big enough for all of us.

"You'll call us if anything goes wrong?" Alice asked.

"Of course," Carlisle said.

"You two will be fine here, right?" I asked Alice and Rosalie.

"We'll be fine, Bella," Alice said, "Don't be so paranoid."

I stuck out my tongue and Alice laughed.

"So mature," she said.

"You would know," Edward said, deep sarcasm ringing in his voice.

Alice hissed. Edward laughed as Carlisle backed the car out of the garage.

---------------------------

Ever since Jacob had become Alpha, we were safe to cross the treaty line near the reservation, though we didn't go far over it this time.

"You'll have to take the car yourself, Bella," Carlisle said, stopping the car. "Even though you can run fast, it still might look fishy if you didn't take it to Jacob's place."

"Right," I said. "You guys will be all right?"

"We'll be fine!" Emmett said, "Jeez, Alice was right. You're paranoid, little sis."

"Better paranoid than dead," I said.

"All right, Bella," Carlisle said, "You better get going. We'll be split up in the forest around the reservation, but we'll be able to hear you. If anything goes wrong --"

"And it won't," I said.

"We'll be there in a dash," Carlisle continued as if I hadn't said anything.

"Quicker than a dash," Edward said.

Everyone stepped out of the car, and I went into the driver's seat.

"Don't provoke Louis," Jasper said, "Remember, you're only there to meet him and to learn about his family. I imagine there may be other things he has in mind as well."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Maybe nothing," Jasper said, "We'll see."

"What's he getting at?" I asked Edward, as he leaned into the window, and toward me.

"It's nothing," Edward said, "Don't worry about it."

"Now I'm more worried than I was," I said.

"Don't be," he said.

He kissed me on the lips. I smiled.

"I'll be very close by," he said.

"Not too close," I said.

Edward nodded, and I drove down the road toward Jacob's place. As I looked in the rear-view mirror, I noticed Edward look at me, then run toward his left. I returned my attention to the road and sighed. Even though I was prepared for this, I was still very anxious. There was so much I wanted to know from Louis. I had to know if his father knew the identity of me or any of my family. This was the main question I needed answered. If he gave me the answer I dreaded, everything was going to get a lot more serious.

A few minutes later, I arrived at the Black house and parked in the grass. I immediately noticed the large bonfire. At the moment, Jacob was the only person by the fire. He waved at me when I got out of the car. I walked over to him.

"You're early," Jacob said, "You're the only one here?"

I kept a straight face.

"Yeah," I said, "Why?"

Jacob shrugged.

"I was wondering if you'd bring Nessie," he said.

"You must be joking!" I said, "I wasn't going to bring Nessie when I knew there was a possibility she might not be safe."

"What do you mean?" Jacob asked.

"You can't seriously trust Louis one-hundred percent yet," I said.

Jacob shrugged again.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"Inside with Leah," Jacob said, motioning to the house.

He made a disgusted face.

"Louis has been staying at my house since he got here," he said, "You're not the only one wanting to ask him questions. Billy's asked him a lot himself."

"Aren't you worried he'll transform?" I asked.

"It's been cloudy," Jacob said, shrugging, "Besides, Billy thinks Louis will be calm when he transforms."

"Why?" I asked.

"If Leah's here," Jacob said, "Billy thinks that Louis won't do anything."

"I don't know about that, Jake," I said.

"Right now, we've been lucky enough," Jacob said.

"So why won't he come out now?" I asked.

"He won't come until everyone gets here," Jacob said.

My eyes widened. Everyone? Did he know Edward and the others were in the forest.

"What do you mean 'everyone'?" I asked.

"A few of the pack mates," Jacob said, "For protection."

"They're worried he'll attack me?" I asked.

"No," Jacob said, frowning, "They're worried you'll attack him."

"Are you kidding me?!" I asked, incredulously.

"Nope," Jacob said, "They've become pretty close to him."

"Ah," I said, "Because Leah's imprinted on him."

"That's just half of it," Jacob said, "He's a pretty cool guy."

"I'll see that when I believe it," I said.

"You might not have to wait much longer for that," Jacob said, looking over me instead of at me.

He waved his big arms and I turned around. Seth, Embry, Paul and Quil were walking past the car and toward Jacob and I.

"Hey, Bella!" Seth said, when he and the others walked over to us.

"Seth, can you go tell Leah and Louis we're ready?" Jacob asked.

"Do I have to?" Seth asked.

"Just go," Jacob said.

Seth sighed and walked toward Jacob's house.

"Are you sure this is going to be all right, Jake?" Paul asked.

"What's wrong, Paul?" I asked, "You scared of me?"

Paul growled.

"Easy, Paul," Jacob said, "Bella just wants to ask Louis a few questions."

"And she's the only bl-- one of her kind around here?" Paul asked.

"She came alone," Jacob said.

"Are you sure about that?" Paul asked.

I tried my best to keep a straight face. Had Paul seen Edward and the others?

"Paul, if Bella says she came alone," Jacob said, "Then I believe her."

I couldn't believe it. As far as I knew, all, or at least most, of the Quileute tribe had become friends with the Cullens. Now it seemed as if that old tension was back with some of Jacob's pack. Was this all because of Louis? I knew it might have something to do with imprinting, but I wasn't sure. I couldn't help but think of one thing: If it was this easy for Louis to gain the trust of Jacob's pack, how easy would it be for the rest of the Graysons to ally with their old enemies? The potential problems with this possibility was just too hard to stomach.

I suddenly wished Edward was here with me. He might not be able to read Louis' mind, but he would be able to read the minds of Jacob and his pack. He'd know what they were thinking. He would know why they suddenly had so much respect for Louis Grayson.

A sound broke my thoughts, and I turned around. The sound I heard was the front door of Jacob's house opening and closing. Seth returned followed by Leah and Louis. I noticed the latter two were holding hands. Billy Black rolled out behind them in his wheelchair. I was kind of grateful that he was out here as well. He would make sure there was no hostilities with the Quileutes. Of course, as soon as I thought that, another thought came to mind. Had Billy Black also taken a liking to Louis? Did he admire Louis just as much as Jacob's pack did? I suddenly felt very alone in the middle of this large pack of wolves.

"I guess we should start with formal introductions," Jacob said, as Louis and Leah walked over to us, "Bella, this is Louis. Louis, Bella."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Louis said.

I knew that if I didn't say something, the tension between me and Louis would reveal itself.

"Ditto," I said.

"I believe you wanted to ask me some questions?" Louis asked.

"Yeah," I said.

I wondered where to begin.

"Bella," Louis said, "Before you begin, I want to say one thing. You may ask me anything you want. I will answer everything you ask me to the best of my knowledge, but I won't lie to you. I want to gain your trust, Bella, as well as your family's trust."

I tensed up. How well did Louis know about me and the Cullens? That would be something I would ask him. But not yet.

"I guess I'll start from the beginning," I said. "I'm aware of parts of the Remi Lunitari story, and I know that your family was in Europe for quite some time. What were your reasons for coming out here?"

"It's because of my father," Louis said. "The Remi Lunitari used to live in this area. My great-great-grandfather was a part of the tribe that lived upstate from here. He was well aware that the Quileutes were still living around here, and he wanted to find them."

"He wanted revenge for what happened to his tribe?" I asked.

I noticed Paul and Embry tense up.

"Easy, boys," Jacob said.

Apparently he had noticed it too.

"Louis has given permission to Bella for her to ask anything she wants," he said, "Louis?"

"Yes, Bella," Louis said, with a sigh, "He wanted revenge."

"Does he know that the Quileutes cannot kill the – your kind?" I asked.

"He had theories," Louis said, "He thought the Quileutes may have found a way over time to be able to kill the werewolves. As the oldest of his children, I was supposed to be his spy. I would trick the Quileutes into thinking they had gained my trust, and I was to get to know them. Unfortunately for him, he did not foresee what was going to happen to me."

"Foresee?" I said, "You mean he has powers of foresight?"

Louis laughed.

"No, Bella," he said, "It was just a figure of speech. What I should say, is he didn't plan for this to happen."

"For you to fall in love with Leah?" I asked, looking from Louis to Leah.

"Yeah," Louis said, "Well, when he realized that his oldest son had fallen in love with a member of the Quileute tribe, he was pretty angry. When my father is angry, things are known to happen. He would never attack a member of his own family. So he put his anger out elsewhere. I originally thought he was going to hurt one of Leah's pack then and there. But he didn't... and that was when the first attacks started happening around the Olympic Peninsula."

"So your family," I said, "They aren't just attacking these people for food?"

"Unfortunately, no," Louis said.

"And you were never a part of these attacks?" I asked.

"Never," Louis said.

"You keep mentioning the Quileutes as a pack," I said, "Did you know they were shape-shifters before your father asked you to be a spy?"

"No," Louis said, "My father didn't tell me that much. I didn't find out until I transformed at the bonfire. I take it Jacob already told you about that."

"Yes," I said. "You didn't know Leah was a shape-shifter though?"

"No," Louis said, "Neither did my father. Leah's the first female shape-shifter of her kind. My father was only knowledgeable about the males."

"So why did you bring her to your father?" I asked, "I mean, if you love her --"

"I thought it was over," Louis said, "Between me and her, I mean. I had done the one thing I vowed never to do in front of her. I became the beast inside of me. I was very upset, and my father found out. We had an argument. He told me he would take care of me, like he always did. He would help me if I helped him. I knew what he had meant. I didn't want to be a part of it. So I ran away from him. That was when I found Leah in the forest. She still seemed to be angry with me, and that, in turn, made me angry, so..."

He sighed.

"You attacked her and sent her back to your father," I said.

"And I will regret it for as long as I live," Louis said, looking at Leah.

"Okay," I said, "What I am going to ask you next is the main reason I came here today. I don't know how much you'll know about what I'm going to ask you."

"I think I know where you're getting at," Louis said, "Again, I'll answer your questions to the best of my ability. I won't lie to you."

"Okay," I said.

I paused and looked around at Jacob, his pack and his father, then back at Louis.

"Does your father know there are vampires in the area?" I asked.

"Yes," Louis said.

"Did he know about them when you first moved here?" I asked.

"He didn't know there were any in the area," Louis said, "We came here because of the Quileutes."

"When did he find out about the vampires?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"He went out on a hunt for food with my mother and oldest sister," Louis said, "When he came back, he was in a rage. He said there were vampires in the area, and that we were going to have to find out where they were."

"Does he know the identity of any of the vampires?" I asked.

"If he does, he didn't tell me," Louis said.

"Do you know who the vampires are?" I asked.

He sighed and looked at me. He then looked at Leah, then Jacob.

"I told him, Bella," Jacob said.

When I came to interrogate Louis, I was prepared for most of the things he would tell me. I wasn't prepared for this.

"What?" I asked, in a shocked tone, "How could you –?"

"It's my fault," Leah said, "Don't blame Jacob."

"You?" I asked, "Why –?"

"Is it true vampires can cure werewolves?" Louis asked.

Suddenly, it all set in. Was this the reason Jacob let me talk to Louis? Louis wanted to gain the Cullens' trust so that he could possibly be cured?

"In theory," I said.

"What do you mean?" Louis asked.

"It's called detransformation, Louis," I said, "Enough vampire venom can cure a werewolf. Any more and it would kill them. So this is all because of a cure?"

I turned to Jacob and Leah.

"Is it true?" I asked, "You risked your friends' lives all because he wanted a cure."

"No," Leah said, "It's what I wanted. I told you. I'm the only one to blame here."

"Oh, good," I said, sarcastically, "I'll know who to blame when his family knocks down my door!"

"My father doesn't know who you are," Louis said.

"Oh, I think he does," I said.

"What?" Jacob asked, "What do you mean?"

"You haven't heard about this last attack, have you, Jake?" I asked.

"The one in Kalaloch?" Jacob asked, "Sure I did!"

"And none of it sounded strange to you?" I asked.

"Louis already told us that it had probably been his family who was responsible," Jacob said.

"That's not what I meant," I said, "I already knew who did it. The details of the attack. What do you know?"

Jacob shrugged.

"I don't know what you're getting at," he said.

"Three humans were killed in that attack, Jake," I said, "No pets. One of the victims was a little girl. The other two were probably her parents. Ring any bells?"

He stared at me. I, however, looked at Louis.

"It was me, my husband and my daughter in the forest that night, Louis," I said, "We were the ones who your father had discovered."

Louis' eyebrows raised.

"Your father is trying to track down the vampires," I said, "And when Leah escaped, he must have thought that the vampires had something to do with it. Oh, he knows there are vampires in the area. He knows of at least two."

"I thought you said three," Louis said.

"Nessie's not one," Jacob said, "At least... not exactly."

"But your father doesn't know that," I said. "So let's add two and two. Your father discovers there are vampires in the area. If his scent is as good as I think it is, he probably discovered there were two fully mature vampires and one young one."

"Bella," Jacob said, "Nessie's not --"

"Lyle Grayson does not know that," I said again, "He just believes that because there were two mature vampires that the third must have been one too. A family of vampires. Now, this most recent attack. Does it seem strange to you any longer?"

"It was a young girl and her parents," Jacob said.

His eyes then went wide.

"No!" Jacob said.

"Yes, Jacob," I said, "Louis' father sent us a message. He knows about us."

"He can't," Jacob said, "He doesn't know exactly who you are."

"He'll realize it sooner or later," I said, "Because we were at Lyle's party. Lyle shook Edward's hand. He felt how cold it was."

"Bella," Louis said, "I won't let my father hurt you and your family."

"Thanks, Louis," I said, sarcastically, "But that isn't the worst part of it. My family is more involved than you think."

"What?" Jacob asked, "What do you mean?"

"Lyle Grayson knows my father," I said, then looked at Louis, "My _human _father."

"I won't let my father hurt anyone," Louis said.

"Right," I scoffed, "What can you do?"

"Vampires aren't the only beings who can kill werewolves," Louis said. "Werewolves can kill their own kind. That is why my father will never attack his family."

"You're willing to kill your father?" I asked.

"If it comes down to it," Louis said, "Bella, I'm a friend now. You can trust me. Your family can trust me. I only want one thing in return: the cure."

"You don't care if your family dies?" I asked.

"I'm not a member of that family anymore," Louis said. "Can we make a deal? If I help you get rid of my – the werewolves, will you cure me?"

"I told you," I said, "It's only a theory. If we're wrong, you'll die."

"I don't care," Louis said, "I don't want to be a monster anymore."

I almost laughed. Louis was sounding like a sheep in wolf's clothing.

"So have you planned anything, yet?" Louis asked, "Are you going to attack them?"

"We haven't planned anything, Louis," I said, "That is why I had to come to you. We barely know anything about werewolves. We didn't want to go in unprepared."

"Unprepared?" Seth asked, "How hard can it be to kill them? You can just attack them in the day. They won't be able to transform."

"Werewolves are just as strong in our human form," Louis said, still looking at me. "I think I know what you want, Bella. You want me to help you prepare for the attack?"

"It's the only thing I can come up with," I said.

"As long as you keep your end of the bargain," Louis said, "It's a deal. When should we start?"

"I'll get back to you on that," I said.

"It has to be soon," Louis said, "If you are right and Lyle knows who the vampires are, he won't wait around for long."

"I know," I said, "Thanks, Louis. I got more than I hoped for."

He offered his hand to me. For a moment, I didn't know what he wanted, then I realized he was just offering a handshake. I shook his hand, and I could feel the warmth of his blood pulsing through his arm. He released it quickly. Without another word, he walked away and went back into Jacob's house. Leah followed closely behind him.

"You really think Louis' father knows who you are?" Jacob asked, "That he knows who Edward and Nessie is?"

I couldn't say anything. I only nodded.

"We won't let the Graysons hurt you," Jacob said.

"Big words, Jacob," I said, "You can't kill them remember?"

"So what?" Jacob said, shrugging, "I won't let them hurt Nessie."

"Look," I said, sighing, "Help protect my father. It's the only thing I ask you to do."

I looked back at the direction of Jacob's house. Billy was no longer there. He must have followed Louis and Leah back inside.

"You really trust Louis?" I asked.

"Yes," Jacob said, "He loves Leah. He'll do anything for her."

"Even die for her?" I asked.

"I think so," Jacob said.

"You understand that there is a very small chance he could get cured?" I asked.

"Sure," Jacob said, "And so does he."

"Well, I better get going," I said, "They'll be worried about me, and we have things to discuss. I'll call you when we have everything settled."

"Right," Jacob said.

"Just make sure Louis doesn't do anything stupid," I said.

"Relax, Bells," Jacob said, "We got it covered."

"Sure, sure," I said, grinning.

Jacob laughed. I waved goodbye and returned to the car.

"Hey, Bella," Jacob said.

I turned back to Jacob.

"They're here, aren't they?" he asked.

I didn't need to ask what he meant. I sighed and nodded.

"Okay," he said, "Well, say hi to Nessie for me."

I nodded again, and got into the car, then backed out of the driveway and drove down the road. About a mile later, I saw Edward waiting on the side of the road. I pulled up to him.

"That went well," Edward said, walking up to the window.

"You heard all of it?" I asked.

"Most of it," Edward said, "Maybe more than you did."

"Where are the others?" I asked.

Suddenly, I heard a whooshing sound, followed by two more. Emmett, Jasper and Carlisle appeared in front of the car. I stepped out of the car and went into the back seat with Edward and Jasper. Emmett took the front passenger seat, and Carlisle took the driver's seat. He looked at me through the rear-view window.

"Let's go home," he said, "It looks like there is much to discuss."

I nodded, and Carlisle started the car and drove down the road. I was quiet all the way home. I couldn't stop thinking about what I had discussed with Louis. But there was only one thing that seemed to come up in my mind more often than not: could we trust Louis... or was he, in fact, a wolf in sheep's clothing?

-------------------------------------

**Another chapter finished! Whew. I liked this chapter. It gave me so much to work with. **

**More to come! Feedback would be great!**


	17. Trust

**Chapter 17  
****Trust**

**(Bella's PoV)**

It seemed that my silence was contagious. Nobody spoke on the way home. The only sounds I heard were the car's engine, the tires rubbing on the wet pavement of the roads from La Push to the Cullen house, and the thoughts in my head. The latter was the loudest.

Just how much had Edward and the others overheard. What could they be thinking at the moment? Were they just as worried as I was when it came to trusting Louis? I knew what could happen if Louis betrayed us. He would go back to his father with all the information Lyle Grayson was looking for.

There was more to it, though. Louis was Leah's imprint. This was clearly one of the reasons Jacob and his pack trusted Louis. Imprinting seemed to have something to do with it, if only just a little factor in all of it. I knew that, because of imprinting, Jacob's pack couldn't attack Louis. The way Jacob and his pack talked about it, it seemed that there was some kind of force keeping the shape-shifters from being able to attack Louis. And it also seemed that it had empowered their trust with Louis. If Louis betrayed us and returned to his family, would Jacob's pack follow in his footsteps? We'd be outnumbered if it came to that.

"Are you okay, Bella?" Edward asked me.

I shook the thoughts out of my head and looked up. I only realized then that we were back in the garage. I was the only one in the car.

"Yeah," I said, quickly, "I'm fine."

"No, you're not," Edward said, "Come inside and we'll talk about it."

I stepped out of the car and followed Edward and the others inside.

"We're home!" Carlisle announced.

We found Alice and Rosalie sitting on the couch. Esme and Nessie hadn't returned yet.

"How did it go?" Alice asked me.

"It was... interesting," I said.

"Uh-oh," Alice said.

"It's nothing," I said.

"I don't think it was 'nothing' that I heard," Emmett said.

"Didn't Esme ever tell you eavesdropping was rude?" Rosalie asked Emmett, "Come, Bella. Tell us about it."

"Yeah," Alice said, "Then we'll tell you what happened here."

"What is she talking about?" I asked Edward.

"Your father came by," Edward said.

"What?" I asked Alice, "Was he looking for me."

"He came with a couple police officers from Seattle," Edward said.

"Hey, no fair!" Alice said, "I wanted to tell her about it. But first, I want to hear what happened with the Grayson kid. Come on."

"Blackmail is illegal," I said, my eyes narrowed at my sister-in-law.

Alice stuck out her tongue and I sighed. I walked over to one of the couches and sat down. Edward sat beside me.

"Where should I start?" I asked.

"I find that the very beginning is always a fine place to start," Alice said.

"Well, in the beginning, God created man," I joked.

Edward laughed.

"I think she means a little more recent than that, Bella," he said.

"Yeah," Alice said, "Oh, and just so you know, it was women who came first."

I rolled my eyes, and she stuck out her tongue again.

"Well," I said, "Louis told me about his family first. He said that his family came here because of the Quileutes. When they originally came here, they didn't know there were vampires in the area."

I continued to tell Edward and the others what Louis had told me. There were no disruptions as I told them about the mission Lyle Grayson had given his oldest son.

"He didn't know Leah was a shape-shifter though," I said.

"Leah's one of the first female shape-shifters," Carlisle said, "It is no surprise that Lyle didn't know about her. Even if he did extensive research on the Quileutes."

I then continued to when I asked Louis if his father knew about us. I told them that Lyle did discover us in the forest.

"We were wrong when we thought he didn't know who we were," I said.

"So he did recognize you?" Emmett asked.

"He didn't see us," I said, shaking my head, "But he found out there were two adults and a young child in the area, and that we weren't human."

"Louis told you that?" Carlisle asked.

I shook my head again.

"I figured that out for myself," I said, "I originally thought that Lyle might have just discovered that there were vampires in the area. But that attack in Kalaloch yesterday got me thinking. It was a young girl and her parents who were killed yesterday, and Louis was sure it was his family who attacked them. I realized that Lyle was sending us a message. He has only met three of us. Edward, Nessie and I. I found out why Louis' family has been attacking these people and their pets. He told me that it wasn't for food. Whenever Lyle gets angry, he has been know to get physical. He won't attack his family."

"Why?" Rosalie asked.

"Werewolves can kill their own kind," Carlisle said, "Vampire venom isn't the only way they can die. Most werewolves in the world are in packs. They are loyal to their pack-mates, so they never had to kill each other. That is why nobody knew about it."

"You knew about this?" I asked.

"I thought it was only a myth before," Carlisle said, "Please. Continue."

"Well, as I was saying," I said, "Lyle gets angry, and he has been known to get physical. He takes out his anger on humans and their pets. Most of the time it is their pets, so that he and his family don't arouse suspicion. I think he only attacks humans when he is really angry."

"Leah's escape and Louis' betrayal would have set him off," Emmett said.

"Right," I said, "This time he did it to send a message to us."

"So do you think we can trust Louis?" Carlisle asked.

I didn't answer right away. I thought about it for a moment. If I answered right away, it would have been yes. He had gained the trust of Jacob's pack, and I was sure imprinting had nothing to do with it. But could he really be trusted? Something in my mind told me that this was all part of a plan. No, not Louis' plan, but Lyle Grayson's plan. Lyle must have realized that the Quileutes knew about us, and where we were. Now Lyle knew who some of us were. It would only be too easy for him to go back to his father and tell him all about us. So did I think we could trust Louis? I honestly didn't know the answer to that question. I just shrugged my shoulders.

"There wasn't anything he told you," Carlisle said, "that gave you even a little bit of confidence that we could trust him?"

I sighed.

"He said he wanted the cure," I said, "that he wanted to go through the detransformation process. He said that he would help us get rid of his family if we promised to help him afterward."

"Did you tell them that there is only a little chance that the process would work?" Carlisle asked, "That the process has never been done before? It only works in theory?"

"Yes," I said, nodding, "He said he would take the chance."

"Even if it killed him?" Alice asked.

"He told me he doesn't want to be a monster anymore," I said.

Carlisle just nodded.

"I think we should trust him," he said.

"Carlisle, you know the risks, right?" Edward asked. "If we revealed ourselves to Louis, he could turn on us and tell his family? If you were hoping for a surprise attack, that would be gone if Louis betrayed us."

"It's a risk," Carlisle said, "I agree."

"I think it's one we should take," I said, "Lyle seemed to be honest with his answers. He also seems to love Leah, and I don't think he'd betray her again. Especially when he knows the risks himself."

"There's one big problem here," Rosalie said, "None of us have ever fought a werewolf before. I don't know about you, but I imagine they're pretty strong."

"Yes," Carlisle said, "Even in their human form, they are very strong."

"Louis said he'd help us with that," I said, "He'd teach us to fight them."

"Well, if we are going to do this," Edward said, "I'd say we start soon. Especially with the police from Seattle in the area."

"They're a feisty bunch, I'll give them that," Rosalie said.

Because of the intensity of the conversation, I had briefly forgotten that Edward said Alice and Rosalie had visitors while we were gone.

"What did they want?" Emmett asked.

"My father was with them?" I asked.

"He was hoping you were here," Rosalie said to me.

"Why?" I asked.

"You're father mentioned to the Seattle police," Rosalie said, "that you were quite worried about the attacks in the area. Apparently they thought you might have something to say about it."

Of course. My father was already worried about me and Nessie being in the area. Even subconsciously, he would have brought it up sometime. The Seattle police were so antsy about the case that they would have thought there was something more to it.

"My father knows not to say anything about the Graysons or Jacob's pack," I said. "He said he'd lead the police away from La Push. You don't think they could find out about us, do you?"

"Not a chance," Alice said.

"Well, we're going to have to do something," Emmett said, "I don't have to tell you what might happen if the Volturi gets word of everything happening around here."

"Couldn't they get rid of the werewolves?" I asked, "I mean, it'd be a lot easier if --"

"It's out of the question, Bella," Edward said.

"No, Bella," Carlisle said. "This is something we have to take care of. We have to get this done before there is even a chance that the Volturi gets word of it."

"Especially if you want Louis to live," Jasper said.

"What?" I asked, "I don't understand --"

"What you must remember," Carlisle said, "is that Marcus hates werewolves. He would be here tomorrow if he got word that there were werewolves in the area. He wouldn't even let Louis tell his side of the story. To him, there is no innocent, tame werewolf."

"Yeah, and if you value your existence," Rosalie said, "you wouldn't even dare mention a cure for werewolves around him. The only cure in his mind is extinction."

"He would probably send the Volturi guard to kill us," Edward said. "All because we knew about the werewolves and didn't alert the Volturi."

"Okay, I get it," I said, "Bad idea."

"I think we'll be fine," Carlisle said. "With Louis on our side, and a little luck, I think we'll be just fine."

"I'll call Jacob and tell him what we decided," I said.

At that, everyone went silent. I thought someone might object, but I realized what was going on. Our decision was going through every one of their minds. It had sealed our fate. There was no turning back. It would be the werewolves or us.

--------------------------------------  
**(Leah's PoV)**

If someone told me months ago that I would be where I am today, I wouldn't have believed them. One, I would have never believed that imprinting would affect me. I was different from the rest of my pack. I am the only female in my pack and somehow I thought it made me different. If I had been told that I would fall in love with someone who was half-human, half-wolf, I wouldn't have believed it. I would have probably thought they meant someone in my pack, and the idea of it would have disgusted me. I would have never believed that I would fall in love with a werewolf.

But I did.

Louis Grayson was everything I hoped for in my life. He's the classic prince-turned-beast in those storybook fantasies I read when I was younger, and dreamed of as I got older. And here I was, the girl who he loved enough to tame the beast inside him.

My prince was sitting beside me on the loveseat in the living room of the Black home. The aroma of Billy Black's not-so-famous fish fry was wafting in from the porch. Jacob and Seth were out in wolf-form doing something that they had decided to keep me out of the loop about. For once, I really didn't care. I was where I wanted to be: right beside Louis. Only Billy Black was here with us, and he was too busy with his fish fry to worry about us. I was thankful for that.

Ever since Jacob had brought Louis back to the reservation, Billy had kept an annoyingly close watch on him. Billy had interrogated Louis with many of the same questions Bella had asked him only a couple hours ago. It seemed that Billy Black and Lyle Grayson both had something in common. They were both very proud of the history of their people. This was one of the reasons Billy was a great storyteller when it came to Quileute legends. It was also probably the reason Billy asked Louis so many questions about him and his family. Louis must have impressed Billy, otherwise he wouldn't have let Louis stay in this house.

I was all for Louis staying over at my house, but my mother wasn't going to have that, even if Louis was my imprint. The very fact that I did imprint on Louis probably made it worse. I didn't know how my mother found out that Louis was my imprint, nor how she knew he was a werewolf. I had asked Jacob if he knew, and he said he didn't, though I didn't believe him. Billy Black and my mother are very good friends, and I had a feeling Jacob's father had something to do with this whole thing. When my mother found out about Louis, she pretty much reacted as if I had just announced I was pregnant with his child. And I don't mean in the happy, joyous way many mothers are known for. She even had the nerve to ask me if I knew what my father would say about the whole thing if he was alive. My father, like Billy, was very proud of the history of the Quileutes. I could just imagine how he would have reacted if he found out I imprinted on a descendant of the arch enemies of the Quileutes. He probably would have ignored the fact that neither I, nor any of my pack, have no control over who we imprint on.

"You're awfully quiet, Leah," Louis said, breaking me away from my thoughts.

"Just thinking," I said.

"About what?" Louis asked.

"About how I finally found the prince of my storybook dreams," I said.

"I am nowhere near a prince," Louis said.

"Speak for yourself," I said.

"I am!" Louis said, and it kind of sounded like a bark. "Would a prince conspire to kill his family?"

"You said they weren't your family anymore," I said.

"To say it is one thing," Louis said. "They will always be my family. If I go through with this, it will be something I'll have to live with for the rest of my life. Werewolves live a very long time, Leah."

"You won't have to be a werewolf much longer," I said.

"Do you really trust that girl?" Louis asked.

"Jacob does," I said.

"I didn't ask whether Jacob trusted her or not," Louis said.

"Look, Louis," I said, sighing. "My whole life, I've listened to stories of the Quileutes and the Cold Ones – the vampires, in other words. I thought that all vampires were heartless killers who had no soul and preyed on humans. The fact that they prey on humans is the reason for our hatred. We protect humans from them. It was only recently that I understood that not every vampire was like that. I used to laugh at the thought of a 'vegetarian vampire'."

"The thought is absurd, I'll agree," Louis said.

"But that is what the Cullens are," I said. "Take Bella for example. Would you believe that she was human a year and a half ago?"

"I wondered how long she had been a vampire," Louis said. "Ever since she mentioned her human father."

"Bella fell in love with Edward when she was human," I said. "She chose to become a vampire. That is unheard of by itself. Then there is the fact that your average vampire could never fall in love with a human and not have the urge to kill them. Only a 'vegetarian vampire' could do it, and even then it would take some work. You asked if I trusted Bella. I guess my answer is yes, I do. I trust her and the rest of the Cullens. It would be a stretch to really call them my friends, but it is at the point where I can stand being around them and not think about the history of the Quileutes and the Cold Ones."

"And this child Bella talked about," Louis said, "She isn't a vampire?"

"No, not exactly," I said. "I guess you could call Nessie a hybrid. She's got the urges that vampires have, and she has abilities vampires are known to have, but she also has human qualities. She may be a child, but she matures. In a few years, she'll reach her peak age and look like she's somewhere in her teens. A true vampire child, what they call the 'immortal children', do not grow up. They are children that vampires attack and turned into one of them. The thought of an 'immortal child' is disturbing even to vampires. The 'immortal children' are killed and so are their creators."

"How do you know all of this?" Louis asked.

As soon as he asked this, my mind went back to when the Volturi came to confront the Cullens. I had hoped that memory would never come back to me, but it was inevitable.

"I don't want to explain it," I said, shaking my head, "One of the vampires can tell you if they want. I'll never talk about it."

"You sound as if you respect the vampires," Louis said.

"I do," I said.

"And you could never kill them?" Louis asked.

I stared at Louis.

"Why are you asking me this?" I asked.

"It's just a question," Louis said, "Can shape-shifters kill vampires?"

"I couldn't kill Bella's family," I said.

"Oh, I'm sure you could," Louis said.

"Louis, I don't mean it that way," I said. "There's more to it than you know. Jacob imprinted on Bella's daughter."

Louis raised an eyebrow.

"You mean," he said, "Jacob imprint is a vamp--?"

"I told you," I said, "She's not a full vampire. But yes, Jacob imprinted on Nessie. Remember when I told you that, because your my imprint, that my pack can't hurt you."

"Sure," Louis said, nodding.

"It's the same way with Nessie," I said, "There is a force that protects Nessie from us. And, in a sense, it also protects the rest of the Cullens."

"Wait a moment," Louis said, "Does that mean my family is protected because you imprinted on me?"

"Shape-shifters can't kill werewolves, Louis," I said, "So it wouldn't be any use anyway."

Another thought came to my mind.

"Though there may be some problems, anyway," I said.

"What do you mean?" Louis asked.

"Remember one of the things you told Bella?" I asked, "That you would help train her and her family?"

"Yeah," Louis said slowly.

I began to wonder if Louis was having second thoughts about it. But I was too worried about other things at the moment to think about it for long.

"It might mean that my pack might interfere with that," I said, "Even if we didn't want to. I can't explain it, but it is like some force. If someone attacked you, that force would make me attack them, even if it killed me in the process."

"Then I won't train them," Louis said.

"No," I said, "There's another way. None of my pack can be in the area when it happens."

"You mean that I will be alone with the vampires?" Louis asked, "No, I --"

"We'll figure it out," I said. "There has to be a way. The vampires are the only ones who can kill your family."

"Other than werewolves," Louis reminded me.

I knew Louis meant himself.

"Surely you don't want to be a part of that," I said, "Especially if it means that I'd be forced to be there alongside you, even if I can't kill them."

Louis sighed and looked down at the ground.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," he said.

"You're not having second thoughts, are you?" I asked, "You're not thinking about going back to your family?"

"No," Louis said, "I don't want to be a monster anymore."

"And the only way that can happen is if you trust the vampires," I said, "Help them and they'll help you. Then we can live happily ever after."

"You sure you want to give up phasing?" Louis asked.

"For you, I will," I said. "If you can give up being a werewolf, I'll give up being a shape-shifter."

Louis stared at me and didn't say anything for almost a minute.

"Okay," he said, "I'll trust the vampires."

I nodded and smiled. He leaned toward me and kissed me. I returned the kiss, but before I could lose myself in Louis' touch, it was interrupted by the sound of a door opening. I turned, expecting to see Billy. It was Jacob. I growled. At least he was in a pair of shorts.

"I hope I wasn't interrupting anything," Jacob said, a smirk forming on his lips.

"You know you did," I said, "Where were you? Where's Seth?"

"Seth's following Charlie around," Jacob said.

"Charlie?" Louis asked.

"Bella's father," I said.

"Yep," Jacob said. "We saw Nessie. She was with Esme --"

"Another vampire," I explained to Louis before he could ask.

"Anyway," Jacob said. "They explained that they had been following Charlie around, but it was beginning to get a little difficult. Charlie's not alone right now. He's got the police from Seattle with him."

"Police from Seattle?" Louis asked, "Why are they here?"

"Joint investigation," Jacob said. "They're trying to find out who is responsible for all the attacks around the Olympic Peninsula."

"Oh," Louis said, "They haven't been down this way, have they? I mean, if my father finds out --"

"I know," Jacob said, "I'll see what Bella knows. Anyway, Esme and Nessie went back home and Seth took their place. I figured Seth might be better at hiding then Esme and Nessie is."

"I hope so," I said.

"Don't worry, Lee-Lee," Jacob said, and I growled at the nickname, "Seth knows what he is doing."

A ringing sound came from the pocket of Jacob's shorts. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell-phone.

"It's Bella," Jacob said as he pressed talk and put the phone to his ear, "Hey, Bells!... Yeah?.... Yeah, he's here. ….Sure, I'll tell him. Hang on."

Jacob put a hand to the receiver of the phone.

"Hey, Louis," Jacob said, "Are you still wanting to help the Cullens?"

Louis looked at me and I nodded.

"Sure," he said, looking back at Jacob.

"When do you want to do it?" Jacob asked.

"Tell her I'll get back to her on that," Louis said.

"Okay," Jacob said, putting the cell-phone back to his ear. "Hey, Bella?... Yeah, I'm still here. Look, Louis is still deciding.... No, he definitely wants to do it. He just doesn't know when.... Yeah, I know it has to be soon. I think he might be waiting for the right weather if you get my drift."

Louis looked worried when Jacob said this last bit.

"What's wrong?" I whispered to him.

"Not yet," he said.

"Yeah, it's probably the only way," Jacob said on the phone, "Oh, there's something else. Have you talked to Charlie lately?... You have? What's he doing with the Seattle police?... Oh? Yeah, thanks. It's what I was worried about. I'll see you soon, then?... Yeah, I'll get back to you on that ASAP... Yep. Bye."

He hung up the phone.

"Don't worry about the Seattle police," he said to me and Louis, "Charlie's leading them in the other direction."

"Great," Louis said. "Hey, what was that about 'waiting for the right weather'?"

"You heard that, huh?" Jacob said. "Well, I was thinking. The best way for you to help the Cullens fight the werewolves is to train them while you are a werewolf."

"Not a good idea, Jake," Louis said, "I'm not like you guys when you're in wolf-form. I can't control myself very well."

"Oh," Jacob said, "Yeah. Didn't think about that. Bad idea."

"Look, I'll think about it," Louis said, "But we might have to settle with practicing while I'm like this."

"Yeah, it might be the best idea," Jacob said, "I mean, it's not like we're going to attack the werewolves while they are in their wolf-form, right?"

"'We' aren't doing anything, Jake," I said, "We can't kill them, remember?"

"Yeah, I know," Jacob said, "I meant that the vampires aren't going to want to attack the werewolves in their wolf-form. Right, well I'll just leave you two love-birds alone and go see how Billy's doing."

Jacob walked back out of the house.

"You're really not going to practice with the vampires in your wolf-form, are you?" I asked Louis.

"We'll see," Louis said.

"You just said you can't control it!" I said.

"I have a little control over it," Louis said, "I just need a bit more. It's not like I'm going to be trying to stop myself from becoming a werewolf. I'm just going to try to fight the urge to attack somebody. Look, I'll train them while in my human form for now. Then if the moon decides to come out of the clouds one night, we'll train that way. Like you said, they won't be fighting my – my father while he's in his wolf form, unless they have some really bad luck. But I have to train them that way anyway... just in case."

"And we'll just have to hope that nothing goes awry," I said.

"Believe me," Louis said, "I know that more than you do."

I nodded.

"I'll be right back," I said, and stood up.

I walked outside and found Jacob and Billy tending over the fish on the grill. Jacob saw me and walked over to me.

"He's already decided?" Jacob asked.

I nodded.

"That was quick," he said.

"Well, he hasn't decided completely," I said, "He won't train in his wolf-form yet. But he will at some point, he just has to control it. He's just as strong right now, so it doesn't matter much anyway."

"It's the best we can do," Jacob said, "Should I tell them to come over tomorrow?"

"The earlier we do this, the better," I said.

Jacob nodded and took out his phone again. Using speed-dial, he called Bella and put the phone to his ear.

"Bella?" he said, "It's Jake again. It seems Louis is quick in his decision... Yeah, he'll do it. Just not at night yet, if you get my meaning... Yeah, I know you have to be prepared, but he says he can't control it just yet. Can you just work with what we have right now?... Yeah. Great. See you tomorrow around noon?... Great. See you then. Bye."

He pressed end on the cell-phone and looked at me.

"It's done," he said.

I sighed and looked through the window at Louis. I suddenly wished there was more I could do, but it looked like I would be forced to sit on the sidelines.

-------------------------------------

**Another chapter finished! All right. Well, as I write my chapters, I try to figure what I will be doing in the future chapters. A lot of this chapter has to do with that. I'm not sure yet, but Louis might have a PoV chapter of his own coming up. Not yet, though. **

**Feedback would be wonderful. Helps me write more. **


	18. Training Day

**Chapter 18  
****Training Day**

**A/N: Sorry for my mistake, putting chapter 19 on this one. This is the real chapter. Enjoy. **

**(Bella's PoV)**

_My cellphone vibrated on the table in front of me and almost fell off it before I picked it up. _

"_Hello," I said into it._

"_Bella?" Jacob said, on the other end of the line, "It's Jake again. Looks like Louis is quick in his decision."_

"He'll do it?" I asked.

"_Yeah, he'll do it," Jacob said, "Just not at night, if you get my meaning."_

"Jake, we must be ready to fight the werewolves," I said, "None of us have any experience with them. And we have to be prepared for anything."

"Yeah, I know you have to be prepared," Jacob said, "but he said he can't control it yet. Can you just work with what we have right now?"

I sighed.

"_I guess we'll have to," I said._

"_Yeah." Jacob said, "Great. See you tomorrow around noon?"_

"Noon is fine," I said.

"_Great," Jacob said, "See you then. Bye."_I pressed end on the cell-phone.

"Yeah," I said, "Bye Jake."

I was sitting at the table in the cottage. My laptop was in front of me. I had been searching for information about the Remi Lunitari tribe when Jacob had called me back. I couldn't find very much. The only information I found was on a couple of Native American websites. The experts on both of these websites said that the Remi Lunitari tribe had been extinct for centuries, and there was nothing about their exisitence in Europe. It seemed that the Remi Lunitari tribe made sure they were well hidden from society. Neither of the websites said anything about possible links to wolves or anything of the sort.

I started to wonder if any of the descendants of the tribe had anything to do with it, just like the Volturi had destroyed any website that had information about real vampires. Then I realized I hadn't seen any information about the tribe's connections to the Quileutes. The Quileutes didn't seem like the kind to hide information, otherwise I wouldn't have originally found anything about the Cold Ones and their connections to the Quileutes.

I heard a noise to my right and turned. Edward and Nessie walked into the cottage. I exited out of the internet as Nessie walked over to me and hugged me.

"You have fun with Grandma Esme?" I asked her.

"Yeah!" Nessie exclaimed, "I saw Jakey and Seth."

"You did?" I asked.

I was a little surprised. Jacob hadn't mentioned that he saw Nessie and Esme today. Perhaps he had forgotten.

"Yep," Nessie said, "Can I go play now?"

"Sure," I said, "Be good. Don't jump on the bed."

"All right," Nessie said, then walked down toward her bedroom.

Edward smiled and kissed me on my forehead.

"Esme said Jacob and Seth saw her and Nessie outside of the police station," he said, "Esme explained to them what she was doing, but said that Charlie was getting a little suspicious. Seth volunteered to watch Charlie, so Esme and Nessie came home. You talk to Jacob?"

"Yep," I said, "He said that we could meet them tomorrow around noon."

"Noon?" Edward asked, "Didn't you tell him we wanted to train with Louis while he was in wolf-form?"

"He said he can't control it yet," I said, "And we'll just have to practice with him in his human form."

Edward sighed.

"All right," he said. "Well, it still gives us time."

"Time for what?" I asked.

"If we're going to be practicing with Louis," Edward said, "We're going to want to go hunting first."

"Oh, yeah," I said.

"Carlisle, Emmett and Rosalie are going in about an hour," Edward said, "And Alice and Jasper are going tonight. We can go tomorrow with Nessie."

"Okay," I said.

"Are you all right?" Edward asked.

"Yeah," I said, "I was looking up stuff about the Remi Lunitari tribe. Couldn't find much. Looks like most of the Native American experts think their tribe is extinct. Do you think the Graysons could be the last of their descendants?"

"I wouldn't be surprised," Edward said. "Otherwise there would probably be more werewolves in the area from the Remi Lunitari tribe."

"So Lyle is risking the last descendants of the Remi Lunitari tribe just to get revenge on the Quileutes?" I asked.

Edward only nodded.

"We're doing the right thing, right?" I asked. "This is the only way to solve this?"

"I don't think Lyle Grayson is the kind to forgive and forget," Edward said.

"I know," I said, "It just seems so... so..."

I couldn't find the right word.

"Barbaric?" Edward suggested, "Cruel?"

"Unnecessary," I said.

Edward sighed.

"I agree," he said, "I wish there was another way."

"Do you think his whole family, other than Louis, is going to fight alongside him?" I asked. "Some of those kids are so young."

Edward didn't say anything. I knew that he was thinking the same thing I was. It did seem cruel to kill all of Lyle's family, even if they were werewolves.

------------------------------

The next morning, when Nessie woke up, we headed out toward the meadow to look for some deer or bear to hunt. Even with our acute senses, It took almost an hour to find a small herd of deer. On our way back home, I couldn't help but notice that Edward seemed worried about something. When I asked him about it, he changed the subject. It was only when we got back to the house that I realized he was wanting to talk to Carlisle about it before he worried me about it. We found Carlisle in his office. He was doing something on his laptop.

"Carlisle?" Edward asked, "Are you busy?"

"Just doing stuff for work," Carlisle said. "I figured I should put some overtime into it, since we might be pretty busy over the next few days. You need something?"

"When you were hunting yesterday," Edward said, "Did you notice anything strange?"

"Like what?" Carlisle asked.

"Lack of wildlife," Edward said, "Bella, Nessie and I just came back from hunting. It took us almost an hour to find anything, and all we find was a small herd of deer."

"Yes, I had the same problem," Carlisle said.

"Do you think it has anything to do with the werewolves?" Edward asked.

"Most likely," Carlisle said. "I've noticed the steady decline of the wildlife population get worse ever since the Graysons came to town. The World Wildlife Federation is bound to notice sooner or later."

"Will they be a problem?" I asked.

"When we first arrived in Forks," Carlisle said, "We were very careful with our hunts. We'd move from area to area so it wouldn't attract attention. We were very lucky. We were also careful to stay away from the Olympia Wildlife Park. They keep a census of the wildlife in that park, and if they noticed a sudden sharp decline, it would be a problem for us. Well, that same thing is bound to happen around here, now with the werewolves in the area. If something doesn't happen soon, Bella, then there will be a problem. Yes. Long story short: either the werewolves have to go, or we will."

"The werewolves are proving to be a bigger problem then I first expected," I said.

"Just means they'll have to leave soon," Edward said, "One way or another."

--------------------------------

One of the good things about Esme refusing to join us to get rid of the werewolves, was that she was getting to spend some good quality time with Nessie. Nessie was just as happy to spend some time with her Grandma as well. Around eleven-thirty, they left to do some more shopping, and everyone else headed for La Push. Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper were in Emmett's jeep, and the rest of us were in Carlisle's car.

When we arrived, Jacob, Louis, Leah and Billy were sitting on the long porch outside of Jacob's house. We parked the cars in the driveway and walked over to the house.

"Good afternoon," Carlisle said.

I introduced Carlisle and the rest of my family to Louis.

"I didn't expect this many of you," Louis said, "My father will be quite surprised. We'll definitely have the advantage."

"You'll be fighting them with us?" Emmett asked.

"I haven't decided yet," Louis said.

"I will understand if you do not wish to fight with us." Carlisle said, "It is your family --"

"I do not consider them my family anymore," Louis said.

"Do you think we will have to fight your brothers and sisters?" I asked, "I know a couple of them are very young."

Louis frowned.

"Over the years," he said, "Lyle has been training most of us. We didn't know why until we arrived in Forks. The two youngest children, my little sisters, they are too young to go into training yet, and they haven't transformed

into werewolves yet. My youngest brother, William, he's just old enough to transform, but he still gets in a lot of pain when it happens. He's very loyal to my father and will probably defend him as will the rest of them."

He sighed.

"If you aren't going to kill any of the younger children," he said, "Then you''ll have to try to cure them. They can't grow up the same way I did. I won't let that happen."

"You're aware that the cure is very risky," Carlisle said, "It has never been done before. I only know about it in theory."

"It's a risk I will take," Louis said.

"Well then," Carlisle said, "If you're ready, we should start."

"One moment," Louis said.

He turned to Leah.

"Come with me," he said to her, "I need to talk to you."

Leah nodded, and followed Louis into the house.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"If you are going to do this, then Leah and I and the rest of the pack can't be anywhere in the area," Jacob said.

"What's wrong?" Rosalie asked, "Don't want to be around just in case we harm your little friend?"

Jacob narrowed his eyes at Rosalie.

"No," Edward said, "He's afraid his pack will harm us."

Rosalie scoffed.

"Like it or not, it's true," Jacob said, "Because Louis is Leah's imprint, we have to protect him from harm. Even if we get killed in the process."

"But we're only going to be practicing with him?" I said, "Nothing more."

"It doesn't matter, Bells," Jacob said, "We'd still be forced to protect him. So to avoid this, we cannot be anywhere in the area."

"And Leah is okay with that?" I asked.

"It's what she and Louis are discussing at the moment," Edward said to me.

"Don't you ever get tired of that?" Jacob asked him.

"Never," Edward said, grinning.

The door opened and Louis and Leah walked out.

"I guess we better get going," Leah said to Jake.

"This probably won't take very long," Louis said.

"Take as long as you like," Jacob said, "Dad will be here to watch, right?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Billy said, grinning.

Leah kissed Louis and then followed Jacob past us and toward the forest.

"Right," Louis said, looking at the rest of us, "So how should we do this?"

"You're the teacher here," Carlisle said.

Louis grinned. It seemed he liked the thought of that.

"Well," he said, "I've never seen real vampires in action, so I don't know how fast you are."

"Oh, we're pretty fast," Emmett said, grinning. "Edward? Want to help me give our new friend a show?"

"It would be my pleasure," Edward said.

With a quick wave of his hand, Emmett ran toward the edge of the forest. It was at least the length of two football fields, but he was halfway there in less than five seconds.

"Be right back," Edward said to me, a large grin across his face.

He ran off toward Emmett and the edge of the forest. He was there a half-a-second before Emmett, even with Emmett's large lead.

"Show-off!" I shouted.

"Impressive," Louis said.

He then looked at me.

"What about you, Bella?" he asked, "Are you that fast?"

I grinned and started off toward Edward and Emmett. Half-way there, I heard a whooshing sound that stopped me in my tracks. I looked toward the treeline. Louis was standing behind Emmett and Edward.

"Whoa," I muttered.

I was one of the fastest vampires I knew, and yet Louis had just doubled my stride in half the time. What scared me more than anything was that he had done it in his human form.

"Impressive!" Emmett said, echoing Louis' reaction moments ago.

"That was amazing," I said, when I walked over to Louis. "And all of your fam-- I-I mean, the Graysons, they're just as fast?"

"Most of us," Louis said, "Like I said, the young ones haven't been trained properly. My father's even faster than I am."

I looked at Edward. Even he looked a little shocked about the whole thing.

"Well, you may be fast, Wolfman," Emmett said, "But are you strong?"

"I'd show you," Louis said, "But I doubt Mr. Black would appreciate me tearing up his landscape."

"No need," Edward said, "Do you arm-wrestle?"

Louis raised an eyebrow.

"Nobody can beat me in arm-wrestling," Emmett said.

"Not true," I said, grinning.

Emmett rolled his eyes.

"You're on," Louis said.

We ran back toward the house – or rather, Emmett, Edward and I did. When we stopped, we noticed that Louis was only walking toward us.

"I thought so," Edward muttered, looking at Louis.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Your father's training is one-sided," Edward said to Louis.

"What do you mean?" Louis asked, as he walked back over to us.

"He never trained you to keep up your stamina, did he?" Edward asked, "You tire out very easily."

"Maybe so," Louis said, "But he also trained us to be able to take out an opponent just as fast."

"It was foolish of him," Carlisle said. "And it will probably be his downfall."

"You don't know my father, old man," Louis said, "Look, I may hate my father, but I also respect him. He trained me and my brothers and sisters in ways you will never understand."

"Then help us understand," I said. "That's why we're here, right? That's what you wanted?"

"My father always taught me," Louis said, "that if you don't respect your opponent, you will never defeat them."

"You expect us to respect your father?" Rosalie asked, "After what he's done since he's been here? He's targeting us and you want me to respect him?"

"Easy, Rose," Carlisle said, "He doesn't mean it that way. Even if you are faster and stronger than your opponent, you will still underestimate them if you don't know what they can do."

Carlisle's expression went soft, and he looked at Louis.

"I apologize, Louis," he said, "Please. Teach us what your father taught you, so that we will know what to expect."

Louis looked around at all of us. I knew he was wondering if any of us were going to say anything more that could offend him. His attitude went pretty calm all of a sudden, and I wondered if Jasper had anything to do with that.

"All right," he said. "Before we begin, I want to tell you about my father. My father's life was controlled by his pursuit of revenge toward the Quileutes."

Behind Louis, I noticed that Billy's eyebrows went very narrow.

"He was completely aware that the Quileutes couldn't kill us," Louis said, "and that when he finally was able to exact his revenge, it would only be too easy. But for my father, he didn't care about how easy it would be. He wanted his whole family to participate. He told me, when we arrived, that it was his intention to take out the Quileute wolves, but leave the rest of the tribe for something to remember for the rest of their lives. During his research, he found stories on the internet about the history of the Quileutes and the Remi Lunitari. He told me that the Quileutes had only wanted to tell the story from their side and left out all the important stuff. In other words, anything that showed the Quileutes as the bad guys were never told."

I thought Billy was going to speak up and oppose everything Louis was saying. To my surprise, he remained silent in his wheelchair.

"My father told me that the Remi Lunitari could have destroyed the Quileutes long ago," Louis continued. "He said that the Remi Lunitari were peaceful. The Quileutes say that the name 'the people of the moon', also known as 'the children of the moon', was given to them because they had won the war between the two tribes. My father said that was not true. The Remi Lunitari gave them the title as a gift of peace and respect. The Remi Lunitari didn't want there to be a war. They didn't want to kill the Quileute tribe, so they moved to Europe. The messengers who stayed behind were volunteers who would tell the Quileutes why their tribe had left. The Quileutes didn't listen. They believed that the Remi Lunitari were cowards who ran away. As a message, they killed the messengers, who were never inflicted with the werewolf trait."

"Inflicted?" I asked, "You make it sound like a curse."

"A mutation, actually," Louis said.

"I'll explain later," Carlisle said, looking at me, then back to Louis, "Please, continue."

"As I explained earlier," Louis continued, "my father is big on respect. So as you would probably guess, my father was furious at the disrespect the Quileutes showed the Remi Lunitari."

"Alledgedly showed," Billy said.

"You disagree?" Louis asked him.

"Innocent until proven guilty, Louis," Billy said.

"Unfortunately, my father wouldn't agree with you," Louis said. "All these years, he's been controlled by his beliefs. His life has been led by the belief that the Quileutes made a mockery of the Remi Lunitari all those years ago. With that in mind, he trained me and my brothers and sisters as, literally, a small army. Originally we only had one mission. Wipe out the Quileute wolves, leave the humans alive and let them wallow in their sadness. My father's words. To him, that would be the revenge he has dreamed of for most of his life."

He sighed, pausing for a moment.

"My mother was also a descendant of the Remi Lunitari," he continued, "I think it was probably my father's idea to mate with another descendant of the tribe, in order to make sure that his children were all werewolves. Even then he was planning his revenge. By the time we arrived here, me and my three oldest siblings were well-trained. Almost immediately, he gave me my mission. I was all for following in my father's footsteps until I met Leah and fell in love with her. And then I found out that there were vampires in the area, and they were friends of Leah and the Quileutes. Well, at first, I was still doing what my father told me to do. But then my father made a big mistake when Leah was in our cellar. He told me he would kill her if she didn't tell him about you guys. I then realized it was her or my pack. I chose her. And you know the rest."

"Does your father know much about us?" Carlisle asked.

"He didn't tell me much," Louis said, "But I will assume he doesn't know too much. Only that you guys exist and that you can kill him. He only wanted to go after you because you could stop him from going after the Quileutes."

"Well, he's right about that," Emmett said.

"Exactly," Louis said, "and I will help you as much as possible. For Leah's sake. And for the rest of the Quileutes."

"It's all we ask," Carlisle said.

Louis walked out into the field behind us.

"Emmett," Louis said, "Since you look like the strongest of your family, how about you volunteer first."

"It would be my pleasure," Emmett said.

He walked over to Louis, but stayed back about ten yards from him.

"A werewolf's best offense is his arms, hands and legs," Louis said, "If you can disable those, you have a good chance. Most werewolves attack head on. They don't mess around by chasing their opponent if they can get to them head on. This goes with werewolves in their human and wolf form. Shall we start?"

"Let's do it," Emmett said.

"Don't aim to kill, Em," Carlisle said.

"Of course not," Emmett said.

Without warning, Louis ran toward Emmett. Emmett ran toward him and jumped up in the air, then landed with a hard thud right behind Louis. Before Louis could turn, Emmett pounced onto his back. I thought Emmett had won, until Louis grabbed Emmett's arms from behind and tossed him bodily into the air. Emmett stood up quickly and looked at Louis. He looked as shocked as the rest of us. There wasn't many in this world who could take down Emmett like that.

"I thought so," Louis said. "So a vampire's best offense is to attack from behind?"

"Yeah," Emmett said.

"It's a good offense, I'll give you that," Louis said. "But you missed the key point when battling a werewolf. If you don't disable their arms, hands and legs, they can take you down no matter where you attack from."

"All right," Emmett said, "I understand."

Louis ran at him just as Emmett finished his sentence, but Emmett didn't go anywhere. I almost yelled for Emmett to move, when Louis pounced at him with enormous strength and speed. Just as Louis was about to hit him, Emmett grabbed him. The impact of it made Emmett and Louis roll head over tail over each other. Emmett gained the advantage and pinned Louis to the ground.

"It's a kill," Louis said.

Emmett grinned and backed up, standing up quickly. Louis got to his feet.

"Pretty good," Louis said, "However, normally that wouldn't be a good idea, and I speak of this toward the rest of you. Emmett is quite strong and could probably withstand it most of the time. Most of you might want to make sure that never happens. A werewolf is very strong when he is going for a charge. You could get knocked out very easily. I don't have to tell you what would happen then."

He clapped his hands together once.

"All right," he said, "Let's go for speed now. Edward?"

"I'll be back in a moment," Edward said to me.

"Be careful," I said.

"Always am," he said, with a grin.

He walked over to Emmett.

"He's quite strong," Emmett said to Edward, "Don't underestimate that."

"Got it," Edward said.

Emmett walked back over to us, but I was watching Edward. He stood about ten yards away from Louis.

"And... begin," Louis said.

Louis charged at Edward, who ran straight for Louis. I was a little worried. Hadn't Edward listened to Louis about charging a werewolf straight on? Edward jumped high over Louis, just as Emmett had done before, but this time, Edward didn't attack Louis straight on. Edward ran after Louis, and suddenly it was a game of cat-and-mouse. Everytime I thought Edward had Louis, Louis turned one way or another and ran off another way. After about half-a-minute of chase, Louis stopped. I could see he had tired himself out. I remembered what Carlisle had said about stamina and how Louis' father hadn't trained him on it. Edward then ran toward Louis. He jumped toward him, grabbed Louis by the shoulders and flipped him over onto the ground. Edward pinned Louis, who was panting.

"It's a kill," Louis said.

Edward jumped up and helped Louis stand up.

"I think it's time to take a break," Carlisle said.

"No, I'm fine," Louis said, though he sounded out of breath, "We should continue."

"No," Carlisle said, "You are tired and it wouldn't help any of us. Look, Louis. I'm not trying to make fun of you, or disrespect you or your skills. I can see that you are quite skilled. But skills don't matter if you tire yourself out."

"Carlisle's right, Louis," Billy said from the porch, "You'll kill yourself."

"I promised to help you," Louis said.

"And you have helped us," Carlisle said, "And you can continue to help us."

"Fine," Louis said, "We can rest."

Carlisle walked over to Alice and whispered something in her ear. Alice looked at him with a bit of surprise, then nodded. She then walked over to Louis.

"I think I know a way to help you," Alice said to him, "But we're going to need a bit of privacy."

Louis hesitated.

"I don't know," Louis said.

"Don't be silly," Alice said, "If it works, you'll feel a lot better and it will help you in the long run. Jasper, I think you can help too."

"Sure," Jasper said.

"Billy, may we use your house?" Alice asked.

"Go ahead," Billy said.

Alice, Jasper, and a still-hesitant Louis walked into Billy's house.

"What was that all about?" I asked Carlisle.

"Alice practices meditation," Carlisle said. "It helps her concentrate on her foresight better. I think it could also help Louis with his stamina problem."

"How?" I asked.

"If he calms down, he won't use too much energy," Carlisle said.

"Ohh," I said, "And that is why Jasper went with them too."

"Only to make sure Louis will calm down enough for it," Carlisle said.

I nodded. While we waited for Alice and the others to return, Emmett, Edward, Rosalie and I all did a few arm-wrestling matches while Carlisle and Billy talked to each other. I only caught a few words between the two, but I knew they were talking about the werewolves.

**Chapter finished! I decided to end it there and continue with this in the next chapter. I have a couple of ideas and I think they'll fit well.**

Feedback would be great!


	19. Meditation

**Chapter 19  
****Meditation**

**(Louis' PoV)**

I felt pretty foolish walking into Billy Black's house with two vampires. While I trusted the Cullens, I was still quite cautious around them. I knew they could kill me easily if I wasn't too careful.

Unlike my father, I wasn't too knowledegeable about vampires. Originally, I thought they only existed in movies, and the thought of their existence in the real world was just plain scary. Of course, anyone could argue that the same could be said for werewolves. I guess that is why I respected the vampires so much. In the sense that both our kinds weren't supposed to exist in the reality of the real world kind of made me feel closer to them. Even the fact that they were the only beings, other than our own kind, who could kill us made me seem to respect them so much more.

And yet I still felt uneasy walking into the house with two vampires and nobody else. Just what were they going to do? Carlisle, the leader, had said something about helping my stamina. It was true, I did need to work on it. I tired out pretty easily, and now it seemed weird that my father never helped me with it. Had his obsession caused him to overlook some of the more important points of my training?

"I think we'll be fine in here," Alice said, as we walked into the living room, "What do you think?"

"Whatever you want," I said, shrugging.

Alice just grinned. I was about to take a seat in the rocking chair, when I noticed that Alice was shaking her head.

"We should sit on the ground," she said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Easier," Alice said, "You'll see why."

I shrugged again. What the hell? It couldn't hurt me, could it?

I sat down and Alice sat just inches from me, facing me.

"Cross your legs," Alice instructed.

Alice crossed her own legs and I did the same. It felt very uncomfortable and I immediately wished I had chosen the rocking chair. Alice, however, looked pleased (and very comfortable I also noticed) so I must have been doing something right. Out of the corner of my eye, Jasper took a seat on the couch, and I wondered why he wasn't sitting on the floor with us.

"Don't mind Jasper," Alice said, "Concentrate on me."

I looked back at Alice and she smiled. She was quite beautiful. In fact (and I know Leah would have probably hit me for saying this), I thought she was one of the most beautiful women in the world... even for a vampire.

"I hope you don't think I'm downplaying your strengths," Alice said, "You're quite strong. I've never seen anybody take down Emmett like that. You're also very fast. But it can also be your weakness if you underestimate it. Take us vampires, for instance. Stamina is a natural gift for us. Because we never sleep, we never tire out easily."

"That doesn't make any sense," I said.

To my left, I heard Jasper chuckle.

"What's so funny?" I asked him.

"Well, you said that your father knows so much about us," Jasper said, "and yet I find it funny that he never taught you to train to fight us."

"I also said that it was the Quileute wolves my father was training us to fight against," I said.

"And yet, they are no match for werewolves even without months and years of training," Jasper said, "The Quileute wolves cannot kill werewolves. Doesn't it sound even remotely strange to you how much your father trained you for them?"

"What are you getting at?" I asked, "Spit it out."

"I think your father was training you to fight us," Jasper said.

It made a little sense, I admit. But I wasn't going to tell him that. However, there was a some key things he had missed.

"I told you," I said to him, "My father doesn't know too much about vampires."

"No," Jasper said, "You told us that he didn't tell you what he knew. And you only think he didn't know too much. I think he knows more than he led on."

"Do you think we were right to begin with?" Alice asked.

"I do," Jasper said to her, "The other alternative doesn't make any sense."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I mean the exact thing I said only a couple minutes ago," Jasper said, "I believe your father was training you to fight vampires. Not the Quileute wolves. The Quileutes are no match for werewolves. All those months and years he was training you, he was preparing you to fight vampires."

"So why didn't he tell us that?!" I asked.

"Your father didn't want to frighten you," Jasper said. "At any point of your life, did you believe werewolves were invincible?"

"Sure," I said, "I mean, I believed that only our own kind could kill us, and because of our loyalty with our own race, I did think we were invincible."

"And your father never told you any different?" Jasper asked.

"No," I said, "He didn't tell us anything about vampires. He was so focused on revenge against the Quileutes, we believed we had one purpose in life. To get revenge on what my father referred to as 'the pitiful imitation of our race'. So you're saying that he was lying to me and my brothers and sisters for our entire lives?"

"Maybe," Jasper said. "I still think he was training you against us, but doing it in a way that it wouldn't frighten you. You were a child when he started training you. How do you think you would have reacted if he told you that he was preparing you to fight the one being in this world who would kill you without a second thought?"

"But he would have been wrong," I said, "I mean, you and your family for instance --"

"I take it you've been told about 'vegetarian vampires'?" Alice asked.

"Sure," I said, "Leah told me. And I assumed that there had to be more of you."

"Besides us, there is only one more coven like us," Alice said, "Our friends in Alaska. Every other vampire --"

"Is a soulless cold-blooded killer," I said, staring at the ground, "Right. Unfortunately, my father would never believe that there are... friendly vampires in the world."

"Yeah," Jasper said, "You're probably right."

"But even if he did train us to fight vampires," I said, "it still proves that his training has been wrong all this time. I mean... if your stamina never decreases --"

"I wouldn't give us that much credit," Alice said, "It decreases, but it's natural for us to learn to control it. That is what an existence without sleep will do to you."

"Still," I said, "Werewolves would tire out long before vampires. We'd be no match for you."

"It's probably why werewolves are almost extinct," Jasper said.

My throat went dry. It made sense to me now, but it still scared me. Had vampires nearly wiped out my whole race simply because they were much stronger than us? My dry throat prevented me from saying this. And also what was in the front of my mind: had my father prepared us for our own extinction?

"They – the others – m-my family," I said, "they have no chance, do they?"

Neither Alice nor Jasper responded. They only looked at each other and I could tell immediately what emotions were glowing across their faces: sadness, regret, pity. I had always thought that the vampires had no choice but to take out the werewolves. Now I could tell that they wished there were millions of other options in front of them.  
"I have to tell them," I said. "I have to tell my family. Maybe if my brothers and sisters realize what my father is doing, then –"

"It won't help," Jasper said. "It won't help you and it won't help us."

"But it'll help _them_!" I said, in almost a scream, "My family!"

"You said they are dedicated to their father's beliefs," Jasper said. "I don't think there is any way."

I was about to retort when a sudden memory came to my mind. The last day I saw my family and my house. My brother, William, lunging at Leah and me, prepared to attack. All in the name of our father. He would have attacked me, his favorite brother, if Jacob hadn't prevented it.

I sighed and nodded.

"You're right," I said, though my voice was hoarse.

"You need to help us," Alice said. "I promise, if there is a way to save your brothers and sisters, any of them, we'll find it. But if you don't help us, we may not have a chance to do that. And the only way for you to help us, is if we help you first."

"Just tell me what to do," I said.

"Okay," Alice said, "I think that the reason you tire yourself out so easily, is because you are too jumpy. You move around too much, and you never let yourself catch your breath. I think if you calm yourself down, you'll find that your stamina will improve nicely. And the way to do that is with meditation."

"You mean the stuff those Bhuddist monks do?" I asked.

"In a way," Alice said. "Meditation will calm your body and mind down. So, close your eyes and focus on something calming."

"Like what?" I asked.

"I can't help you with that," Alice said, "You'll know what calms you down. Think of a moment in your life and focus on it."

"Okay," I said.

"You'll need to be very quiet during meditation," Alice said, "Whenever you practice on your own, don't let anything disturb you. Now, close your eyes."

Alice closed her eyes, and I closed my own.

"Breathe deep," Alice said.

I almost laughed. The thought of a vampire talking about breathing, when I knew they didn't need much oxygen if any at all, sounded really funny. However, I breathed in deeply and exhaled.

"Concentrate on a memory," Alice said, "Make sure it is a calm memory, a soothing memory."

I tried, but it was very difficult. I had been so focused on my father, and helping the vampires train to defeat my father, and worrying about my brothers and sisters, that I couldn't find anything that Alice described as a calm memory. Suddenly, a memory came to mind. I quickly realized it probably couldn't be described as calm. It was just hours before I had helped Leah escape from the house...

_Flashback..._

_I was sitting on the couch in the living room of our two-story house. The couch had a perfect view of the hallway and the door to the cellar and the basement. Heather, my oldest sister, only a couple years younger than me, was standing beside the cellar door. My father had gone through that door only minutes ago, and I knew he had gone down there to talk to Leah. And I knew the subject of the questions he was asking her. _

_Hours ago, Heather, my father and mother came home from a hunt in the forest, and my father was raving mad. I thought he had found out what had happened at the bonfire at Jacob Black's house, but he started talking about vampires and that he was sure there were at least three in the area. I was beyond words. I didn't know very much about vampires, and it had only been a few years before that I had learned that vampires actually existed in the world._

When he calmed down, he asked me what I did at the Quileute reservation, and if I had learned anything. I told him that the Alpha's father had told us a story, and that I had transformed right in front of everyone when the moon came out. My father was pretty mad about that, and that is when I had run out of the house. I had been pretty upset at myself for upsetting Leah, and, by a strange turn of events, I found her in the forest. She reacted badly, and I was so upset from everything that was going on, that I attacked her, knocked her out and brought her back here to the house.

_Now I wish I hadn't. I knew what my father was going to do to Leah if I didn't help her. I knew I had to get her out of the house. _

"_Take a picture, it'll last longer," Heather's voice said, breaking me from my thoughts._

_Heather was looking at me. Her arms were crossed at her chest._

"_What?" I said._

"_You're staring," Heather said._

"_Oh," I said, "Sorry."_

"Don't think that I don't know why," Heather said.

"_What are you talking about?" I asked._

"_I know you care about that girl down there," Heather said, nodding her head toward the cellar door. "I don't know why you would want to. You know what she is, don't you?"_

"Yeah," I said, shrugging, "So what?"

"So your fraternizing with the enemy," Heather said.

"_I brought her back here, didn't I?" I asked._

"_I'll give you that one," Heather said, "It's probably the smartest thing you did in your life."_

I scoffed. Oh, how wrong she was!

_Suddenly, the door opened behind Heather and stopped our conversation flat. My father walked out of the cellar and shut the door behind him. He looked at Heather, then me, but didn't say anything. Instead he went into the den, where his office also was. Heather looked at me with narrowed eyes, and I stood up. I couldn't take her wit anymore. I walked over to the den and knocked on the door._

"_I'm busy!" my father's gruff voice said on the other side of the door._

"_It's Louis," I said, "Can I talk to you for a bit?"_

Pause.

"Fine," my father said, "Come in."

I opened the door and walked into the den, shutting the door behind me.

"_Did she say anything?" I asked him. _

"_She said she didn't know who the vampires are," my father said, "and I think she's lying."_

"I don't know, Dad," I said, "I haven't heard anything about vampires ever since I became fri-- ever since I started hanging out with the Quileutes. You think if Leah knew, then perhaps Jac-- the Alpha, or someone else in her pack would. They've lived in the area for a long time."

"Vampires can be quite sneaky, Louis," my father said, "Besides, the vampires might have not been in the area for very long."

"Maybe they were just passing," I said. "Maybe we don't have to worry about them."

"Did you forget what I told you?!" my father asked, banging a fist on his desk, "Vampires can kill us, Louis! Do you want to risk our lives over a possibility that they might have just been passing through the area?"

"But we don't know who they are," I said, "Shouldn't we just focus on the Quileutes? We're doing pretty well with that."

I bit back my retort after I said it. I realized I had basically told my father to keep going after Leah and her friends when I knew very well that Leah was trapped in our cellar.

"_Sometimes you have to sacrifice things to get what you want in the end," my father said._

"_Sacrifice?" I said, "What do you--"_

"No more, Louis," my father interrupted me, "Go. Leave me. And go tell one of your brothers to take Heather's place. She looks pretty tired."

I stared at him for a moment. What wasn't he telling me? What was he willing to sacrifice? Time focused on the Quileute wolves just to go after the vampires that may not even exist? Or was he talking about something totally different? I obeyed my father and left the den. I walked over to the cellar, thinking I could relieve Heather of her duties and take her place. Perhaps talk to Leah. Maybe I could get her to tell me about the vampires.

"What do you want?" Heather asked me.

"_Father says I should take your place for a while," I said, "He says you look pretty tired."_

"Do you think I was born yesterday?" Heather asked, "You just want to talk to your girlfriend. I'm not tired."

I shrugged and walked away. She was already pretty suspicious, and I knew that as long as she was watching me, I wouldn't get an oppurtunity to talk to Leah. I would try in the morning.

_Flashback ends..._

I opened my eyes, not feeling any different. The memory wasn't very calming. Perhaps it just no use. Alice opened her eyes and looked at me.

"Anything?" she asked me.

"No," I lied.

"It's okay," she said in a soothing voice, "I didn't expect it to work the first time. Try harder. Close your eyes again."

"My life hasn't been what you could call calming," I said.

"You'll think of something," Alice said, smiling, "Close your eyes. Just keep calm and breathe."

I closed my eyes, and searched in my mind for something in my life that could possible be described as calming. Spending time with my family? No, other than when my father was training us, we didn't do very much as a family. Maybe it was the scenery. When I lived in Europe, our house was near the ocean. The scenery was pretty nice, especially when we went to the beach. It was pretty calming to think about. I concentrated on the ocean and trips to the beach. It seemed to help a little bit. Though after about five minutes, I realized it wasn't enough. A day at the beach just didn't seem calm enough.

"This isn't working," I said, sighing.

Alice opened her eyes and frowned. Though I also noticed she looked relaxed.

"Really?" Jasper asked, "I thought you looked pretty calm there for a little bit."

"It isn't enough," I said.

"What were you thinking about?" Alice asked.

"A day at the beach when I lived in Europe," I said.

"It was a pretty good choice," Alice said.

"But it wasn't enough," I said again, "Give me a hint, at least?"

"What about your time with Leah?" Jasper asked. "If you don't mind me asking. Do you feel pretty calm when you're with her?"

"Sometimes," I said, shrugging.

"Well, focus on that," Alice said. "I think you'll find that you'll succeed with it."

I was about to ask if it has ever worked for Alice, then decided that I didn't really want to know. I closed my eyes and searched through my favorite moments with Leah, hoping one of them would work. The one that came to my mind first was the day I helped Leah escape from the cellar...

_Flashback:_

_I walked beside Leah through the forest toward the Quileute reservation. Many thoughts were going through my mind. I had just betrayed my family. There was no turning back now. I was a part of the Quileutes now. I was an outsider, a descendant of the enemy of the Quileute tribe, and yet they welcomed me as a part of it. Their tribe, their family. _

_Family. How can a joyous word hurt so much to think about? _

_As one of the wolves (I couldn't tell who it was) trotted past me, a sudden image came into my head. I had been trying to protect Leah, when my brother, William, had caught up to us during our escape. William almost attacked me and Leah, but Jacob appeared just in time. I remebered seeing William's unconscious body as I walked away from him. A part of my mind told me not to care, that he would have done the same thing to me. But the rest of my mind told me that he was my brother, and I should care. That I should be hurting Jacob for what he did to my brother. _

"_Louis?" Leah said, "What are you thinking about?"_

"I was beginning to wonder if this was a good idea," I said. "I can never go back, you know? I can never be a part of that family anymore. Not after what I did today."

"You did what you had to," Leah said, "And I thank you for it."

Leah took my hand and smiled at me. I didn't return her smile. I just looked around at the other Quileutes wolves, escorting me back to their reservation. I knew they were doing it for my safety. I was their new ally, and yet I kind of felt as if I was a prisoner. I looked over my shoulder, but we were too far away that I couldn't even see the smoke coming out of the fireplace of my old house.

"_What's wrong?" Leah asked, "You hear something?"_

"No," I said.

"_You miss them already, don't you?" Leah asked._

_I looked back at her and nodded._

"_It's okay," Leah said, "It's okay to miss them."_

"I don't think it is," I said. "You know how hard it is not to turn around and go back to them?"

Leah frowned.

"_Part of me says I should go back and face them," I said. "Pay for what I did."_

"What does the other part of you say?" Leah asked.

"_That I should stay with you," I said._

_  
"I like that option," Leah said._

_I sighed._

"Okay, what's the hold-up?" a voice said.

_I jumped slightly. Jacob appeared from behind a tree._

"_Louis is having second thoughts," Leah said._

"_Oh, really?" Jacob asked, looking at me, "You're not thinking of going back there, are you?"_

"It was just a thought," I said.

_Jacob scoffed._

"_They're my family, Jake!" I said, "Wouldn't you do the same thing?"_

"Family?" Jacob asked. "Your brother would have attacked you if I didn't save you. All because you were rescuing Leah from them. Last time I checked, anyone who calls themselves your family wouldn't attack you."

"William made a mistake," I said, "He's young."

"A mistake?" Jacob asked. "So he was aiming for her, not you?"

I stared at him.

"You don't know what you're talking about," I said to him.

"Oh, I don't?" Jacob asked, "You kidnap Leah, then have second thoughts about the whole thing, and ask for our help to save her. You knew the costs when you did it, and now you're wanting to go back to them? Do I sound like I know what I'm talking about now?"

"Jacob," Leah said.

"_Hush, Leah," Jacob said, still looking at me. "What makes you think they want you back, Louis?"_

"Because they are family!" I growled.

"_There you go again with the family thing!" Jacob said. "Okay. Fine. You want to go back to them, go ahead. Just remember what your options were when it all goes down for you. You know as well as I do you'll be spending your days and nights in your cellar. That is, at least, if you're not already six feet under."_

"Jacob!" Leah said again, "Stop it!"

"You hear that?" Jacob asked, motioning to Leah, but still looking at me, "She's defending you. I don't know why, but she is. And yet you want to give her up for your family?"

"_Jacob," Leah said, and this time she was growling, "Stop it. Let me talk to him."  
_

_Jacob looked at me for a full minute, before he walked away. By then, a few of the Quileute wolves had come back._

"_It's fine," Jacob said to them, "Let Leah and Louis talk. They'll be fine."_

While most of the wolves turned and headed back the way they came, one stayed nearby.

"_Seth," Jacob said, "You heard me."_

Seth whined, but stayed where he was.

"_Seth, it's fine," Leah said, "Louis won't hurt me. You know that."_

Seth whined again, but turned around and walked off. Jacob looked at Leah, then me, and followed Seth. Leah looked at me, and I looked back at her.

"Louis, I know about family," Leah said, "I told you I recently lost my father to a heart-attack, right?"

I nodded.

"_My family hasn't been right since," Leah said, "I barely go home anymore. Me and my mother don't talk too much. If it wasn't for Seth, my family would probably be torn apart. He knows he's the man of the house now. So don't think you're alone with the hardships of a family."_

"You may not talk to your mother much," I said, "But it doesn't mean you don't love here anymore, right?"

"Of course not," Leah said.

"_No matter how much she might make you mad?" I asked._

"_Yeah," Leah said._

"_So then my father will forgive me," I said._

"_You're going to choose them over me?" Leah asked._

"_I don't want to choose just one!" I said in a growl. "They're my family."_

"Now I am," Leah said, "But only if you come back to the reservation with me. I love you, Louis. Imprinting or not, I still love you. I don't want to lose you again."

"You never lost me," I said.

"_It's enough that I thought I did," Leah said. "When you transformed and ran off into the forest, I thought I lost you. I thought you wouldn't come back. I hate to say it, but at the time, I didn't want you to come back."_

"You don't need to remind me how mad you were," I said.

"_Do you want me to be that mad again?" Leah asked, "Because if you do, just turn around and go back home. You'll get your wish."_

"I don't want to make you mad," I said.

"_Then come back with me," Leah said. "Forget about them. I'm your family now. Remember what we talked about? What happened to the fact that you didn't want to be a monster anymore?"_

"I still don't!" I said.

"And you think that'll happen if you choose to go back to them," Leah said.

_I sighed. I knew she was right._

"_I'm your family now," Leah said again, "And so are the rest of the Quileutes."_

"_Okay," I said._

"_Say it," Leah said._

"_You're my family now," I said._

"_And those people back there?" Leah said, nodding in the direction of my house._

"_Not my family anymore," I said, softly._

_It hurt me to say it, but I knew I wanted to be with Leah. And if I went back to them, Leah would never take me back again. Leah smiled and kissed me softly on my lips. I kissed her back._

_Flashback ends..._

I opened my eyes. To my surprise, Alice wasn't sitting in front of me anymore. Instead she was sitting on the couch with Jasper.

"What happened?" I asked, "How long was I out? Less than five minutes?"

"Twenty minutes," Alice said.

"Twenty?" I asked.

"Whatever you were thinking of," Alice said, "It worked."

She was right. I did feel really calm.

"What were you thinking about?" Alice asked.

"Spending time with Leah," I said.

"I thought so," Alice said.

"Should we continue?" I asked.

"No," Alice said, "I think you got it."

"I think I do too," I said.

"We'll see about that," Jasper said.

I didn't have to ask what he meant. I stood up, and as I followed Alice and Jasper back outside, I was surprised how different I felt. My body seemed to have rejuvenated from the meditation. I felt a lot better.

-------------------------------------------

**Chapter finished! Whew. Parts of this chapter was hard to write. I had to think about those flashbacks.**

More to come! Feedback would be lovely!


	20. Solitude and Suspicions

**Chapter 20  
****Solitude and Suspicions**

**(Leah's PoV)**

Roughly two miles away from Jacob's house, where I knew Louis was training most of the Cullen family, I was sitting at the bottom of an enormous oak tree. A few feet from me, Jacob was pacing back and forth and it was getting very irritating.

"Quit that!" I growled.

"What?" Jacob asked.

"You're pacing," I said, "It's very annoying."

Jacob scoffed.

"How long do you think they'll be?" he asked.

I didn't need to ask what he meant. I shrugged.

"Louis didn't give you any time estimation?" he asked.

"Nope," I said.

"And you're okay with this?" Jacob asked. "Roaming around stupidly in the forest while your boyfriend trains with the vampires."

"I guess I have to be okay with it," I said, "It's not like I can do anything. I go any closer and I get an almost uncontrollable urge to go back and attack the Cullens."

"It's really that bad for you?" Jacob asked.

"Yeah," I said, "Just a few minutes after we left, I got a pounding headache. Felt like a migraine. It was really strange."

"Did you see anything?" Jacob asked.

"I thought I saw a glimpse of the big one," I said, "Emmett."

"You saw him from way out here?" Jacob asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not with my eyes," I said, shaking my head. It kind of hurt, and I put my hand to my forehead. "With my mind. I saw Emmett and it looked like he was running toward Louis. I saw Louis better than I saw Emmett."

"It's the imprinting," Jacob said. "I bet it happens whenever our imprint is in danger. Like some kind of alert system. I've never seen it happen before though."

"Oh, you'll know when it happens," I said, rubbing my forehead.

"I don't think anything will happen to Nessie," Jacob said.

"Lucky you," I said.

Jacob scoffed. He then started pacing again. I growled.

"What?" Jacob said, turning back to me, "I can't wait like this anymore."

"You can't go back yet," I said.

"Why not?" Jacob asked. "It's not like he's _my _imprint!"

I laughed at the thought. Jacob growled.

"You can't tell me what to do," he said, "I'm the Alpha here, remember?"

"You know as well as I do," I said, "That you and the rest of the pack are just as affected by the imprinting as I am."

"I didn't get a headache," Jacob said.

"Okay, so maybe it doesn't affect you like that," I said. "But I assure you, it will affect you somehow. Just walk about a hundred feet in the direction of your home, and you'll see. I dare you."

Jacob scoffed.

"Well, I have to do something," he said. "I'm going to Forks. I bet if I find Charlie, I'll find Nessie and Esme."

"Don't you dare head for the rez," I said.

"Relax, Lee-Lee," Jacob said, "Forks is the other way, remember?"

"Doesn't mean you wouldn't take a U-turn as soon you disappear from my sight," I said.

"How about you come with me to make sure?" Jacob said.

"No thanks," I said, with a scowl. "My headache is bad enough without having to hang around the runt."

"Whatever," Jacob said. "See you around."

"Yeah," I said, "See you."

He walked around to the other side of the tree. When he came back around, he was in his wolf-form. His jean-shorts were in his mouth.

"Try to be a good dog," I said.

Jacob snorted and ran off in the direction of Forks. I sighed and leaned back against the tree. I was alone now, and I didn't care. I found peace in solitude. Nobody bothered me, and that was just how I liked it. I could have gone with Jacob if I wanted to. But I knew he'd be traveling in his wolf-form, and the thought was an immediate turn-off for me.

It had been a couple days since Louis and I talked about our future together and, since then, Louis was already doing well with his part of our silent bargain. He would train the vampires, help them get rid of his ex-family, and then they would, in turn, attempt to cure him. My part of the silent bargain was that I would do my best to stop my phasing once and for all. I wasn't too sure how easy it would be for me to stop phasing all together. Phasing for a shape-shifter was as addictive as heroin for a drug addict. It took a lot of concentration and a lot of will to stop yourself from phasing.

I thought of speaking to the elders about it, but I knew that they wouldn't probably approve of it. They would probably tell me that I was a guardian of the Quileute tribe, and to give up phasing would be a risk for the whole tribe. I had a good argument for that, though. If my pack were the guardians of the Quileute tribe, why couldn't we kill our enemies, the descendants of the Remi Lunitari tribe? Some guardians we were. If the Graysons attacked our pack, and the vampires weren't around, we'd have no chance.

The thought of the Cullens being our guardians put a bad taste in my mouth, and I spat it out. I couldn't hate the Cullens. After all, If it wasn't for them, Louis wouldn't have a chance for a cure, and my prince would a beast for the rest of his life.

I had made my decision already. After Louis was cured, he and I would move away from La Push. Hell, we'd probably move away from Washington altogether. Louis' father was rich. After Lyle was gone, Louis would rightfully inherit his money (no questions asked), and we'd run off together. Away from Jacob Black, his pack, and the Quileutes and vampires altogether. Good night, goodbye, and good riddance.

When I was away from the rest of the shape-shifters, I knew it would be much easier to stop phasing. I'd be away from the influence and pressure, and I could start living a normal life with Louis. It had been a dream of mine ever since I met Louis. I'd give up everything for him, and giving up phasing seemed like a wonderful place to start.

My forehead stopped throbbing immediately. Thinking of Louis and my future with him seemed to have calmed my migraine down. I wished for so many things at the moment. I wished Louis would get done with his training. I wished the stupid, senseless imprinting didn't have this much power over me, and I'd be able to watch Louis train the vampires. I wouldn't have this sudden feeling of loneliness wash through me. Maybe solitude wasn't very peaceful after all.

-----------------------------------

**(Jacob's PoV)**

I ran through the forest toward Forks. I had traveled this way many times, mostly as a wolf, and I could probably get there in my sleep. As I was running, I thought about what Leah and I had just discussed. I wasn't an expert on imprinting, and I'd never experienced anything that Leah was going through, even if imprinting had affected me longer than it had affected her. I was sure Sam might have experienced something like it with Emily, but I had never asked him about it either. For one, I was sure imprinting would pass me up, so I had never thought about bringing it up with him.

Still, I couldn't help but wonder the effect it would have on me. Leah seemed okay a few miles away from Louis, but that headache she mentioned... it confused me. Almost to a point that it scared me. I'm sure it was some kind of alert system, but to go through that and realize what it means? I knew Bella and Edward and the rest of the Cullens would protect Nessie, but now I couldn't hold back the fear of those headaches.

If Leah was fine a couple miles away from Louis, then what did that mean for me? Would it be the same for me and Nessie? If she was in trouble in the future, would I not know it, because she was so far away from me? I never admitted it to my pack-mates, but when Bella, Edward and Nessie moved to New Hampshire, those first few months were the roughest moments in my entire life. To be thousands of miles away from your soul-mate, that would tear a normal person up. But for someone who is your imprint? I would have probably run off to New Hampshire if it wasn't for the almost-daily telephone calls. The fact that Nessie's still a child makes a little better, but she won't be a child for too long.

_Jacob? _A voice said, interrupting my thoughts, _Is that you?_It was Seth.

_Yeah, Seth, _I said. _What's up?_

Following Bella's father around again. What are you doing? Where's Leah and Louis?

Louis is training the vampires still. Leah's off moping on her own. I just left her.

_Oh. She's okay?_

She's great, Seth. I'm coming your way. I want to get away from here. Figure I'd see how Nessie's doing.

_I think Esme took her shopping. She looked like she was following Charlie around again, but he's got those cops with him. So they took off. I think they're in the Forks shopping mall._

The cops haven't seen you, have they?

_Of course not! Jeez, you underestimate me, Jake._

_Yeah, yeah. Just be careful._

_Always am. You be careful too._

_Sure, sure._

_See you around, Jake._

_Yeah, see you, Seth._

_----------------------------------_

Fifteen minutes later, I arrived in the woods just on the outskirts of Forks. I phased back to my normal self and put my shorts back on, then walked toward the mall. I was near the mall, a few minutes later, when I heard a very unwelcoming sound: a siren turning on behind me. A police car drove up on my left and stopped near me. I noticed the words "Seattle Police Department" on the side.

Great. Just great.

The window of the driver's side door rolled down, and I saw a man in a police uniform there. To my surprise, I also saw Bella's father sitting in the passenger seat.

"Good afternoon, Chief Swan," I said, politely.

"Hey, Jake," Charlie said.

"Haven't seen you around here before, son," the Seattle policeman said.

"Jacob's one of the kids in the Quileute reservation, Brent," Charlie said, "His father is one of my best friends."

"You notice anything strange around here lately?" the officer, Brent, said to me.

"Strange?" I asked, "Like what?"

"Anything," Brent said, "Wild animals. Strange people you've never seen before."

"This isn't Seattle, sir," I said, "We get wild animals out here a lot."

"Are you being smart with me, boy?" Brent said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Brent narrowed his eyes at me, and I knew he was about to retort when Charlie put his hand up.

"I'll take care of this, Brent," he said, staring at me, "We know each other well. Jake's not particularly fond of strangers."

I scoffed silently. Charlie opened the door and got out of the car.

"I'll be over at the mall, Chief Swan," Brent said.

"This will only take a few minutes," Charlie said.

"Right," Brent said, then looked at me. "You be careful around here, boy. You hear me? We have an investigation going on."

"I'll remember that," I said.

Brent rolled up the window then drove down the road. Charlie looked at the car, then looked at me.

"So I'm not very fond of strangers now?" I asked. "Where did you get that from? Billy?"

"You have to be careful, Jake," Charlie said.

"Bella told me you'd keep them away from us!" I said.

"Well, it's pretty damn difficult when you waltz into Forks!" Charlie said, his voice raised.

"Right," I said. "And you just had to go and tell him that I'm 'one of the kids in the Quileute reservation'. Tell me, how is that going to keep them away now?"

Charlie sighed.

"What are you doing here, Jake?" he asked.

"Thought I'd do some sight-seeing," I said.

"What are you doing about the Graysons?" Charlie asked.

"We're working on it," I said.

"Oh you're working on it?" Charlie asked, "What about that damn attack in Kalaloch?!"

"We can't do everything!" I said, outraged, "What about your friends from Seattle?"

"You know very well they can't do anything about it," Charlie said.

"Sure, sure," I said, "I'll look into it. In the meantime, keep Officer Brent and his buddies away from me, or I'll introduce them to the Graysons myself."

Charlie narrowed his eyes at me.

"I'll do my best," he said, resigned, "I'm trying to lead them north anyway."

"Yeah, Bella said something about that," I said.

Charlie sighed.

"Listen, Jake," he said, "Can you do me a favor? Can you try to convince Bella that she shouldn't be around here while those... those things are around? I've tried to tell her, but she isn't listening to me."

Yeah, right. I'd give anything to tell him about his daughter's so-called "condition" and who can really kill those werewolves. Maybe he wouldn't be so worried then.

"I'll say something," I said.

"Please just do me that favor," Charlie said. "Even if it doesn't work, I just want to know that you tried."

"Sure, sure," I said.

"Well, I'll see you around," Charlie said.

"Yeah," I said, "See you."

Charlie nodded and walked across the street to the shopping mall.

"What was that all about?" a voice said behind me.

I sighed. I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. Seth, in his human form, dressed in shorts and a tie-dye shirt, walked up beside me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"I was in the forest watching Charlie," Seth said, "And I saw you, so I followed you. I saw the police coming. Jake, I thought you said the boys from Seattle would leave us alone."

"Charlie's doing everything he can about that," I said.

"What did he want?" Seth asked.

"He wanted to know what we're doing about the Graysons," I said.

"What did you tell him?" Seth asked.

"I told him we're working on it," I said.

"I wish that was the truth," Seth said.

"Yeah, Seth," I said, "So do I."

"Do you want me to continue following Charlie?" Seth asked.

"Yeah," I said, "Make sure he doesn't come toward the rez."

"Why?" Seth asked.

"Because, if he does," I said, "I have a feeling he won't be alone."

"Oh," Seth said. "Are you going to warn everyone?"

"It might be nothing," I said.

"It might be everything," Seth said.

"Shut up, Seth," I said, "Go follow Charlie."

"Yes, sir!" Seth said.

He ran back over to the forest. I sighed and headed back toward La Push.

-------------------------------------

**(Charlie's PoV)**I grumbled under my breath as I walked over to the mall. I was having enough difficulty keeping the secret of the Quileutes and werewolves away from the Seattle police. Now Jacob Black had to waltz into Forks and spark the curiosity of the lead officer in the investigation! I knew I was going to have trouble keeping the Seattle police away from La Push now, so I wasn't surprised when I overheard a conversation coming from Officer Brent Cross' police car.

"Yeah, he sounded pretty suspicious," Brent said, into his walkie-talkie.

"I'm sure he was just being a teenager, Sarge," Natalie said, on the other end.

"He didn't look like no teenager," Brent said, "He's huge, Natalie."

"Many Native Americans are, Sarge," Natalie said.

"Just meet us over at the shopping mall, Nat," Brent said, into his walkie-talkie, "We'll be heading down there as soon as you get here. Over and out."

Brent sighed and looked out his window, straight at me.

"So did you talk to that boy?" Brent asked.

"Yeah,"I said, "He hasn't seen anything."

"I don't know about that, Chief," Brent said. "Just something about him. How long did you say you knew him?"

"Since he was born," I said, "His father and I have been friends for going on thirty years or more."

"He's a pretty big boy," Brent said, "How old is he?"

"Sixteen, I think?" I said.

"Pretty darn big for a sixteen year old," Brent said.

"Well, all the boys in his tribe are like that," I said.

"These Quileutes," Brent said, "You never had any trouble with them, have you?"

"Nope," I said, "None that I can remember."

"Hmm," Brent said, "Well, me and the guys are going down to La Push to talk to them. I need to know if they've seen anything suspicious."

My throat went dry. This was exactly what I was trying to prevent. I had to do something.

"I don't know, Sarge," I said, "I mean, I still think we should look up north."

"We will, Chief," Brent said, "For now, we'll go to La Push. You coming along?"

"I guess I should," I said.

"We won't be leaving until Natalie and the boys get here," Brent said.

"Do I got time for a phone call?" I asked.

Brent nodded. I walked away from the car and took out my cell-phone. I speed-dialed Billy's number. Ring. Ring.

"Come on, Billy," I muttered.

Click.

"Hello?" Billy's voice said.

"Billy, it's Charlie," I said.

"Oh, hey," Billy said. "What's up?"

"Er... I thought I should warn you," I said, "the boys from Seattle are headed your way."

"Oh?" Billy asked.

"Yeah," I said, "Your son came into town today, and one of the Seattle police caught up to him."

"Is he okay?" Billy asked.

"He's fine, Billy," I said. "But he's aroused the suspicion of the Seattle guys. I think the Sarge doesn't like how... big he is."

"That's absurd!" Billy said.

"You have to understand," I said. "The police are looking for anything. They have no clue who is behind these attacks, and you know as well as I do that I can't tell them who is really doing it."

"Well, it sounds like they're getting pretty close to finding out!" Billy said. "Charlie, I don't have to tell you what will happen if the werewolves get news of what is going on around here. Those boys from Seattle won't be the only thing you have to worry about."

"I know that, Billy," I said.

Billy sighed.

"Okay," he said, "I'll warn the boys. Thanks for telling me."

"Yeah," I said, "I'll be coming with them. So I'll see you soon."

"All right," Billy said, "See you."

"Yep," I said.

I heard Billy's phone click. I closed my phone and pocketed it. I walked back over to the squad car.

"Everything all right?" Brent said, as I got into the car.

"Just my daughter," I lied. "Just worried about her, with all the stuff happening around here."

Brent nodded.

"You have kids?" I asked.

"Two teenage girls, twins, and an older boy," Brent said, "Son's married, and the only thing keeping the guys away from my daughters is my dear friend here."

He motioned to the gun in his holster. I grinned.

"How old is your daughter?" Brent asked.

"Nineteen," I said.

"And you said she's already married?" Brent asked.

"Happily married," I said, nodding.

"Must have been a shock to you," Brent said.

"It was at first,"I said, "But her husband is the son of the local doctor, who is a good friend of mine."

Brent smiled. He then waved past me, and I turned. Another Seattle squad car was beside ours. Natalie and the two officers were in the car.

"You're all going?" I asked.

"La Push is a big reservation, from what I hear," Brent said.

I nodded, but didn't say anymore. This was going to get very interesting. I just hoped the Quileutes were ready.

-------------------------------------

**Semi-cliffhanger! Well, I had quite the time deciding what to do with this chapter. Then it came to me, and it worked out well. Hope you liked it.**

**Feedback would be wonderful!**


	21. Unexpected Guests

**Chapter 21  
****Unexpected Guests**

**Author's Note: This chapter starts immediately after Chapter 19 ended.**

**(Bella's PoV)  
**

Edward and Emmett were arm-wrestling, when the front door to the Black house opened again. Emmett got distracted when Louis, Alice and Jasper walked out, and Edward took advantage and slammed Emmett's hand down onto the table. The end of the wooden table broke.

"Hey!" Billy said, looking at the broken pieces of the table, "I told you boys to be careful!"

"We'll buy you a new table, Billy," Emmett said.

"Relax," Billy said, "Jacob made it for me."

"So?" Carlisle said, looking at Alice and Louis, "How did it go?"

"Better than expected," Alice said.

"I hope so!" Rosalie said, "You were gone for over half an hour!"

"We'll know in a little bit," Carlisle said, "And I have a perfect way to test it. While you were meditating, Bella and I were talking. You see, Louis, vampires have powers. As you know, Alice can see the future. Edward can read people's minds."

"Not everybody," Edward said, looking at Louis, "I can't read yours."

"Anyway," Carlisle said. "Bella's power... well, in vampire terms, we call her a shield. The only problem is that we only know Bella can protect against mental powers. We don't know if she can shield physical attacks. That is where you come in, Louis."

"Are you sure, Carlisle?" Edward asked.

"Edward, I have to work on it," I said.

"We don't even know if it will work," Edward said.

"Exactly," I said. "That is why we have to test it."

"What do I have to do?" Louis asked.

"Basically you just have to do what you always do," Carlisle said. "Charge at Bella. She'll try to shield herself. If you are repelled, we'll know it works."

"Just don't really hit her," Edward said.

"Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way, Edward," Carlisle said.

"What are you talking about?" Edward asked Carlisle.

"In order for Bella's shield to work," Carlisle said, "I think that Bella has to really believe that she's in danger."

"He's right, Edward," I said.

Edward sighed.

"I'll be very careful, Edward," Louis said, "I promise."

Edward didn't respond, but walked over to me.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked me, taking my hand.

"I am," I said, nodding. "I have to do this. If it works, I might be able to protect all of us."

"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves, Bella," Carlisle said. "We have to make sure it works on just you before we go too far with it. Are you ready, then?"

I nodded. I let go of Edward's grip and walked out into the yard. Louis walked about twenty yards away from me.

"Do you need time to concentrate?" Louis asked me.

"Just give me a little bit," I said.

I closed my eyes and thought back to when I was originally working on my shield. I was definitely much more nervous back then, so I knew this might be easier now. At that time, I was much more worried about the fate of my daughter and my family. This time it was werewolves instead of the Volturi. Compared to the Volturi, I'd take on werewolves every day. Of course, when I finally got control of the shield, it seemed so easy. But even then, physical attacks could go through my shield like it was thin air. When it came to using my shield against physical attacks, it was like I was just a beginner.

I concentrated on the shield, and after a few moments, I saw the line, invisible to everyone else but clear as day to me, float out over the ground. It was the barrier of the shield.

"Do you think she's ready?" Louis asked Carlisle and Edward, "I mean, I don't know what to do here. I don't want to ask her, cause you said she can't know when I'm going to attack."

"When you're ready," Carlisle said to Louis, "go for it."

Suddenly, Louis ran at me with neck-breaking speed and I focused on my shield. As he got closer, I concentrated harder and for some wild reason, I imagined a brick wall, hoping my mind would turn the shield into one. Then I saw Louis' left foot enter the shield, and I gasped, stepping to my right just in time before Louis ran passed me.

"Did it work?" Billy asked from the porch, "He didn't hit her."

"Bella?" Edward asked me.

"He was able to step right through it," I said. "He didn't hit me because I moved out of the way. But that was just my reflexes. It didn't work."

"What were you concentrating on?" Alice asked.

"I imagined the shield was a brick wall," I said.

To Alice's right, I saw Rosalie roll her eyes.

"Best thing I could come up with," I said.

"Physical attacks are much more powerful than any mental attack," Carlisle said.

"But you can sense physical attacks before mental attacks," Emmett said, "You can see them coming at you easier. How can it be harder?"

"It's the brute strength of your body," Carlisle said, "Not your mind."

"But isn't the mind stronger than the body?" Jasper said.

"Both can be broken down just as easy," Carlisle said, "With Bella here, she's had months to prepare for mental attacks against her shield, and we know they worked out pretty well against the powers of the Volturi."

"But they could have stepped through it as if it was thin air," I said.

"Exactly," Carlisle said, "And I don't think it had anything to do with your training. The shield is a mental barrier, and it, in turn, blocks mental attacks. So it is easy to understand that it is stronger against mental attacks than physical attacks."

"Then we were right to begin with?" I asked. "It's no use to even try?"

"I didn't say that, Bella," Carlisle said, "It just takes time."

"Time is not on our side, Carlisle," Edward said, "We can't sit back for too long. There will just be another attack like the one in Kalaloch. And you know as well as I do, that every attack has escalated from the one before it."

"And if my father finds out about the police in the area," Louis said, "He'll panic. Panic induces anger, and we all know what will happen after that."

"So what should we do?" Emmett asked.

"We'll train more with Louis," Carlisle said, then looked at Louis, "If it is okay with you."

"Of course," Louis said.

"And my shield?" I asked.

"Train your shield on your own," Carlisle said. "I don't think it's the threat of an oncoming attack that empowers it."

I nodded. I walked back to the porch and sat near Billy, while the rest of the Cullens walked into the field. As I watched my family train with Louis, I thought about how to strengthen my shield. At first, all I could think about was how useless it was to even try. If Carlisle was right, then my shield was best against mental attacks. It was, in a way, a mental attack of its own. Physical attacks were on a whole different level. I just had to discover that level.

About twenty minutes into the training, my concentration was interrupted by a ring-tone, though it wasn't from my phone. It was from Billy's. Billy picked it up and put it to his ear. I tried to regain my concentration, but a couple minutes into Billy's call, I heard my father's name.

"Okay," Billy said, "I'll warn the boys. Thanks for telling me.... All right. See you."

He pressed end on his phone, and I could tell Billy had a worried look on his face.

"Was that Charlie?" I asked.

He nodded then rolled his wheelchair over to the opening of the porch.

"Time-out!" he shouted.

Everyone stopped in their tracks.

"Something wrong, Billy?" Carlisle asked.

"That was Charlie," Billy said. "It looks like he's coming here with the Seattle police."

"What?" I asked, standing up, "I told him to lead them in the other direction!"

"Well, apparently," Billy said, "Jacob went to Forks and he ran into the one of the boys from Seattle. They got a little suspicious and are heading this way."

"I guess that means we're done for the day," Louis said.

"It would look pretty weird if we were all here," Emmett said.

"Well, we can't take the cars," Alice said, "We'd pass Charlie and the Seattle police on their way here."

"All right," Carlisle said. "We brought two cars, so two of us have to stay here."

"If my Dad's coming," I said, "Then I want to be here."

"I'll stay then," Edward said.

"Good idea," Carlisle said, "You'll be able to read their minds and tell us what they wouldn't tell you."

"That's what I was thinking," Edward said.

"Okay," Carlisle said, "We'll go back to the house. See you soon."

And just like that, everyone in the field but Edward and Louis ran off into the forest in the direction of the Cullen house.

"I need to go find Leah," Louis said. "I promised her I'd find her when we were done."

"We'll be here," I said.

Louis nodded and ran off into the forest. Edward walked over to me, and to my right, Billy dialed his phone again and suddenly I heard a ring-tone coming from inside the house.

"Damn it," Billy said, "Jacob forgot his phone again."

"He must be in wolf-form, then," I said.

"I just hope the cops don't see him like that," Billy said, "Which reminds me. I need to make a bunch of calls. The tribe is going to want to know they are coming. You two will be all right?"

"Yep," I said. "Thanks for everything, Billy."

"Don't mention it," Billy said, as he rolled into the house.

Edward and I exchanged glances, and I put my arms around him, and my head on his chest.

"Do you really think my shield isn't going to be able to repel physical attacks?" I asked.

"I don't know," Edward said, "I need to think about it more. I have some theories, but I don't know if they'll work."

"Theories?" I asked.

"I'll tell you about them if I think they can work," Edward said.

I nodded. Suddenly, I heard a whooshing sound, and a minute later, Jacob ran up to the porch in his human-form. He looked very out of breath.

"I got here.. as fast... as I could," he said, panting, "Listen."

"You don't need to tell us, Jake," Edward said, "We already know."

"You know what?" Jacob said.

"Charlie and the police from Seattle are on their way," I said. "Charlie called Billy to warn him, and he told us."

"They are coming?!" Jacob asked, "Damn it. I just told Charlie to keep them away."

"What were you doing in Forks?" I asked.

"I was going to see Nessie," Jacob said, "And next thing I know, I'm being confronted by Charlie and one of the jerks from Seattle. Where is everyone else?"

"The rest of my family is going back home," Edward said, "And Louis is looking for Leah. Your dad --"

"Is very mad at you right now, Jake!" Billy's voice said behind us.

Billy wheeled out onto the porch.

"What do you think you were doing?" Billy asked.

"I was just in Forks to see Nessie," Jacob said, "since I couldn't do anything here. It's not my fault the Seattle police saw me."

"Charlie says they're already suspicious of you," Billy said, "Something to do with how big you are."

Edward chuckled. Jacob scoffed.

"We'll be lucky if they don't spot the Grayson's house on their way here," Billy said. "Have you had any thought as to what might happen if the Graysons get word that the police are investigating the very thing the Graysons are guilty of?!"

"So why don't we tell the police who's guilty?" Jacob asked.

"You know the police can't do anything about them, Jake," I said.

"So?" Jacob asked, "One way or another, it will take care of one of our problems."

"Idiot," Edward muttered.

"What did you say to me?" Jacob asked Edward.

"What do you think would happen," Edward asked, "if the Seattle police that are here just happen to wind up dead? More police from Seattle would be here."

"At least it would scare the Graysons away," Jacob said.

"Or scare them into attacking someone else," Edward said. "How would you feel if they attacked your tribe?"

"We can take care of ourselves," Jacob said.

"You know very well that they would kill you and your pack," Edward said. "And maybe Lyle wouldn't stop there. How would you feel if your whole tribe, all of the Quileutes, were slaughtered because Lyle was angry that the police interfered?"

Jacob stared at Edward. He looked ready to attack my husband. Then, he just walked over to one of the chairs and sat down.

"Edward's right, Jake," Billy said.

"Yeah," Jacob said, "And we can't do anything about it. Our ancestors provoked a war against an enemy they couldn't defeat, and now their descendants, us, have to pay for it."

Louis and Leah appeared around the corner of the house.

"We heard sirens coming our way," Leah said, "They'll be here soon."

"I called as many of the tribe as I could get," Billy said.

"I'll go warn the rest of the pack," Jacob said, "I bet most of them are in wolf-form."

"Don't tell them to come here," Billy said. "Tell them to go straight home. It will look suspicious if they are all here."

Jacob nodded, got up and, as he jumped over the railing of the porch, I heard him say "about the only thing I'm good at around here." I frowned, and I noticed the reactions of everyone else on the porch and knew they must have heard him too.

"What was that all about?" Leah asked.

"Jacob's the reason the boys in blue are headed our way," Billy said.

Leah scoffed.

"I knew it," she said. "He told me he was headed to Forks. I should have stopped him."

"You didn't know," Louis said.

Suddenly, I heard sirens, but with my strong sense of hearing, I didn't know how far off they were. A minute later, two Seattle squad cars pulled up behind the two cars. Four men, one I recognized as my father, and one woman got out of the two cars and walked over to us. Charlie looked a little surprised to see me and Edward here. But I also noticed he looked more surprised to see Louis here, and I knew Charlie recognized him as one of the Graysons.

"I hope we aren't interrupting anything," one of the men said, and I noticed B. Cross on the nameplate on his chest.

"No, sir," Billy said, "Just a chat amongst friends."

Charlie introduced the four cops. The one who spoke up was Brent Cross, a Sergeant of the Seattle police. I assumed he was the lead investigator.

"Chief Swan tells me you're his daughter," Brent said to me.

"Yes, sir," I said.

Brent nodded and looked over at Billy.

"And you must be the father of the boy I met in Forks," Brent said to Billy.

"Jacob's my son, yes," Billy said.

"Have you seen Jacob lately?" Brent asked.

"Nope," Billy said, "But he should be back soon. You can never tell with teenagers."

"I understand," Brent said, "I have a couple of my own."

"Is Jacob in trouble?" Billy asked.

"No, sir," Brent said, "These officers and myself are just here to find out what the good people of these small towns might know about the incidents around the Olympia Peninsula. You haven't seen anything weird, have you?"

"No, sir," Billy said, "We've been pretty lucky around here."

"Your son's pretty tall," Brent said, "Is that common with most of your tribe?"

"Sure, I guess," Billy said, shrugging, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm just curious," Brent said, "I don't know too much about the Quileutes, I'll admit."

Brent looked over at Leah and Louis.

"You, boy," Brent said, nodding to Louis, "What's your name?"

"Louis, sir," Louis said.

"You don't look like a member of the Quileute tribe," Brent said.

"Louis is a friend of the tribe," Billy said, "He is a guest in my house."

"Are you from around the area?" Brent said, still looking at Louis.

"No, sir," Louis said.

"From your accent, I'd say you're European," Brent said.

"Yes, sir," Louis said.

The female officer walked over to Brent and whispered something in his ear.

"Oh, yeah," Brent said, then turning to Billy, "On our way here, we passed a very large house. Do you know who lives there?"

I looked at my father, then to Billy. Both had stone-hard expressions.

"It's been vacant for as long as I've known," Billy said.

"We saw a couple of cars there," one of the male cops said.

"Someone must have just moved in there then," Billy said, "I don''t pay much attention to it. That house isn't part of the Quileute reservation."

"We're not too familiar with your reservation," Brent said, "Perhaps we could get someone to lead us around."

"Well, I'd volunteer," Billy said, "But as you can see, I'm not too mobile."

Billy chuckled at his own humor, and Brent chuckled as well.

"But my son might volunteer when he returns," Billy said, "It's the least he can do for bothering you in Forks today."

"It wasn't too much of a problem, I assure you," Brent said.

"Still," Billy said, "He knows his way around here."

"Then we'll be happy to accept his assistance," Brent said.

As soon as he said this, Jacob walked around the corner of the house. There was no emotion in his face when he looked at the officers, though I knew he wasn't too happy with the police being in the area.

"Hello, again," Brent said.

"Er... hey," Jacob said.

"Jake," Billy said, "These fine officers want a little tour of the reservation. I've told them you'd volunteer your services."

I heard rustling and I knew it was Jacob grinding his teeth back and forth, probably biting back a retort.

"I'll be happy to," he finally said.

"Wonderful," Brent said, "We'll just go right ahead then."

"I'll stay here, Sarge," my father said.

"As you wish, Chief," Brent said.

He tipped his hat to the rest of us and followed his companions back to the two squad cars. Billy looked in Jacob's direction and cleared his throat.

"All right!" Jacob said, "I'll go!"

"Behave yourself, Jake," Billy said, "And you know what I mean."

"Sure, sure," Jacob said, with a huff.

He walked up to Brent's car and went into the front passenger's seat. The two squad cars backed out of the driveway and headed down the road.

"Interesting new friends you have, Charlie," Billy said.

"Yeah," Charlie said.

Charlie looked at Leah and Louis, and I realized with a jolt that Charlie knew who, and what, Louis was.

"I could say the same thing about you, Billy," he said, his gaze still on Louis.

I wanted to explain the whole thing to my father, but I knew that he expected I knew more about the werewolves then I probably should, at least in his opinion.

"You're one of the Graysons, aren't you?" Charlie said to Louis.

"Yeah," Louis said.

"So," Charlie said, "I guess that means that you're a --"

"He is," Billy said, "But he's not with his family anymore. He's sided with us."

"Uh-huh," Charlie said, "Well..."

He paused and I wondered what was brewing in his mind. I couldn't read my father's mind, like Edward could, but I had a feeling I knew what he was thinking. He was in the middle of an investigation that was spread out over the whole peninsula, and here was one of the apparent suspects in the case. I suddenly thought that my father would put Louis in handcuffs right then and ask questions later.

"Whatever," Charlie finally said, "I know more than I want to know already."

He then looked at me, and I wasn't too surprised. I knew that he was probably wondering why I was here in the first place.

"Could we talk for a little bit, Bella?" he asked.

"Er... sure, Dad," I said. "Edward and I were about to go back to the house anyway. If you want to go back to town, I'll take you and we can talk on the way."

"Sure," Charlie said.

"Actually, Bella," Edward said, "I am going to stay here for a bit. Something has come up."

I looked at Edward, and could tell from his expression that there was something else he was wanting to tell me. Charlie went to Carlisle's car, and I walked over to Edward.

"Something wrong?" I whispered to him.

"A couple of the Seattle police are going to be heading for the Grayson's house in a bit," Edward said, "I heard it in their minds before they left. I have to make sure they don't get hurt."

"Exactly how are you planning on doing that?" I asked, "I thought we wanted to avoid the Grayson's house until it was time?"

"Don't worry, Bella," Edward said, "I have a plan."

"Right," I said, "Just be careful."

"Always am," Edward said.

"I knew you'd say that," I said.

"You better go," Edward said, "Your father is getting impatient."

"What does he want to talk to me about?" I asked.

"He just wants to know a little bit more about Louis," Edward said.

"What do I tell him?" I asked.

"You'll figure that out," Edward said.

"I knew you'd say that as well," I said.

Edward chuckled and kissed me briefly on the lips.

"Go," he said, "I'll see you soon."

"You better," I said.

"I knew you'd say that," Edward said.

I rolled my eyes and headed for Carlisle's car. I got in the driver's seat and started up the engine.

"What was that about?" Charlie asked.

"He just wanted to tell me he'd see me soon," I said.

As I backed out of the driveway, I couldn't help but think to myself that I hoped that would be true.

----------------------------------------

**Cliffhanger! Whew, this took a while to write. I had a bit of trouble with what I wanted to do with the cops, but I finally figured it out.**

One or two of the reviewers said they've been wanting me to write in Edward's PoV soon. Well, I think that next chapter you'll get your wish!

**Feedback would be great.**


	22. Chapter 22: No Title

**Chapter 22  
****No Title**

**  
Author's Note: This chapter will be in multiple PoVs. As I promised, I will be using Edward's PoV for part of this chapter. This is my first time using his PoV, and I haven't read Midnight Sun yet, so I don't know exactly how his mind-reading would work from his PoV, but I'll try my best. This chapter only has no title because I don't want any spoilers.**

**(Bella's PoV)**

Inside the car, it was momentarily silent, as I drove down the road leading away from La Push and back toward Forks. I didn't look at my father, but I still wondered what he was wanting to talk to me about. Edward had hinted that Charlie was thinking about Louis, and I knew that he would probably be a subject of our discussion, but not the only one.

"So," Charlie said, breaking the silence, "How is Nessie?"

I wasn't too surprised that the discussion had started with small-talk. I figured Charlie was trying to think of a way to start the more serious part of the discussion.

"She's great, Dad," I said. "I thought you saw her today, though?"

"Oh, yeah," Charlie said. "She was with Esme."

"Yeah," I said, "She's been hanging out with Esme a lot lately. A bit of bonding, I guess you could say."

"Yeah," Charlie said, "Have you decided how long you're going to be staying in Forks?"

I sighed. My father had already asked me this once a couple days before. I should have expected this again, and I didn't know how to answer differently. Charlie sensed the delay in my answer.

"Look," he said, "I know you said you wanted to stay in Forks for a little while, but..."

"Aren't you happy that I've decided to remain in Forks for a little while?" I asked.

Charlie sighed.

"Of course I am, Bells," he said. "It's great that I get to see you more often. It's a lot better than having to talk to you over the phone. But..."

He paused and looked out the window. I knew he was just trying to figure out what to say.

"Doesn't the next term at Dartmouth start soon?" Charlie asked, looking back at me.

I raised my eyebrows, surprised that he would ask me about that. Then I realized that I hadn't told him the story I was planning on before I even came back to Forks. Ever since Edward, Nessie and I went to New Hampshire, Charlie had assumed that I was a student in Dartmouth. I knew that I probably wouldn't be able to keep up that story and I had to tell him the story I had planned.

"I'm dropping out of Dartmouth, Dad," I said.

Charlie's face went a little purple, and I knew his anger was rising.

"Bella --" he began.

"I'm not doing it just because of me, Dad," I said. "You know Nessie is special, right?"

"Er... yeah," Charlie said, and he seemed to calm down a little at the mention of his granddaughter.

"Well, obviously in her condition, she can't be a normal child," I said, "So I figured I would leave Dartmouth and become a stay-at-home mother and a home-school teacher for Nessie."

"Well, now that you say that," Charlie said. "it is a good idea. I can understand what you are thinking of. What does Edward say about this?"

"He's perfectly fine with it," I said, "I've been doing some thinking since we came back here, and I'm thinking we might move back here."

Okay, so maybe I hadn't thought about it that much, and I hadn't really talked about it with Edward... okay, so maybe I hadn't talked about it with Edward at all. But ever since we returned to Forks, I realized I missed living here. I knew Nessie would be happy coming back here, especially if it means being closer to Jacob. Jacob would be thrilled of course. Edward would probably be happy as well, especially when it means we can be closer to our family.

Charlie looked like he was battling a smile and a frown. I knew what he was probably thinking. If I moved back to Forks and the werewolf problem was still in the area, he would be worried about me. I knew he was wanting me out of Forks as long as the werewolves were here. Of course, what he didn't understand, and for good reason, was that I was not going to leave as long as the threat of werewolves were in the area. I had a feeling the conversation was heading in the direction Charlie was looking for.

"Well, I can't say I'm not happy about that, Bells," Charlie said. "I have missed you terribly since you left. But under the current circumstances..."

"Look, Dad," I said. "I don't think you have to worry about the current circumstances. I have a feeling things will get a lot better soon."

"How can you be sure?" Charlie asked. "I understand that you might know a little bit more about this than I do, but –"

He sighed and looked at me.

"Now that I mention it," he said, "Just how much _do_ you know about the current circumstances?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, though I knew what he probably meant.

"How much do you know about," he said, then ground his teeth together, "about the werewolves?"

I didn't answer right away. I just stared at the road in front of me as the car continued down it.

"Bella," Charlie said, "I'm sick of this 'it's need-to-know and you don't need to know' crap. As the sheriff of Forks, I think I need to know a lot more than people think I do. I will ask again. What do you know about these werewolves? What about that kid back there, Bella?"

He pointed a thumb back toward La Push.

"I know for a fact he is Lyle Grayson's son and that he is a werewolf," he continued, "And I also know for a fact, because you and Jacob told me so, that the werewolves and the Quileutes are enemies. What is Lyle Grayson's son doing on the Quileute rez?"

I continued to stare at the road. I couldn't believe it. My own father was interrogating me!

"Bella," Charlie said, "I want the truth."

Truth. Oh, how I wished I could tell my father the truth. I wished everyday I could tell him everything.

"Please," he said.

"I told you before," I said. "It's one of the legends of the Quileute tribe and it turned out to be true. The werewolves are the descendants of an old tribe, and they were enemies of the Quileutes. And now Lyle Grayson has come back to get his revenge on the Quileutes. It's an old hatred."

"And Jacob and his friends," Charlie said, "Are the only... only ones who can kill them?"

I wanted to tell him that they couldn't kill the werewolves. I wanted to tell them who could kill the werewolves, but I couldn't. I just had to stick with the story."

"Yeah," I said, trying to keep my voice strong.

"But some of Jacob's pack are just kids!" Charlie said, "Teenagers!"

"Most of Lyle's children are kids too," I said.

Charlie's expression sudden went soft. I could tell there was fear in his face.

"They're all werewolves?" he asked me.

"Yeah," I said.

"Even the little kids," Charlie asked.

"Yeah, Dad," I said. "From what I know, they are all werewolves. The really young kids may not be able to transform yet, but they will."

"How do you know this?" Charlie asked.

"Louis told us," I said, "He explained everything."

"Why was Louis even there at the Quileute reservation?" Charlie asked. "If the Quileutes and the werewolves are enemies..."

"It's all because of Leah Clearwater," I said.

"Leah?" Charlie asked.

"Leah and Louis are in love," I said, "And from what I can tell, it looks pretty serious."

"Sue Clearwater's daughter is dating a werewolf?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah," I said.

"Does Leah know how dangerous –?" Charlie began.

"Leah's one of Jacob's pack," I said.

"Oh," Charlie said, "Well, that may be. But from every story I've heard about werewolves, they're all extremely dangerous." He snorted. "Of course, every story I've heard was a fictional tale."

"Louis has been living with Billy and Jake," I said, "And Billy says that he thinks Louis can stop himself from transforming."

Well, that was part of the truth. Werewolves were able to stop themselves from transforming, but from what I could tell, it wasn't as efficient as the cure from vampires.

"Anyway," I said, trying to keep my story going in fear I would say something I didn't want to if I stopped. "Jake's pack has been training with Louis, and as far as I can tell, it looks like they're pretty close to getting the training done. That's why I said that the werewolves may not be around much longer."

Charlie nodded, but I could still hear him grinding his teeth as if he was trying to stop a retort or something.

"Are you okay, Dad?" I asked him.

"Huh?" Charlie said, looking over at me, "Oh. Yeah, I'm fine."

He then started chuckling, and I raised an eyebrow. What in the world was funny?!

"You know," he said, "When I went into the police academy all those years ago, I didn't ever expect anything like this."

"Yeah," I said, "They don't train you for this stuff, do they?"

"No, they do not!" Charlie said, chuckling again.

I laughed with him. It felt good to laugh with my father. It seemed an eternity since we had been able to have a moment like this. He then stopped laughing and looked all serious again.

"There isn't anything I can do, is there?" he asked. "To stop the werewolves, I mean?"

"No," I said.

Charlie sighed. I knew that expression. He looked as if he had failed not just Forks, but the whole Olympic Peninsula.

"There is something else you could do though," I said.

"Oh?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah," I said. "Keep our friends from Seattle out of harm's way, eh?"

"I'll try my best," Charlie said.

I grinned.

What I didn't realize though, is that at that very moment, harm's way was exactly where the Seattle police were going.

--------------------------------------

**(Edward's PoV – When Bella and Charlie left)**

After Bella and Charlie left, I walked back over to the porch where Billy was sitting in his wheelchair.

"Hey, Billy," I said, "Do you mind watching the car? I don't want to use it right now."

"Sure, Edward," Billy said,

_Wonder what he's planning, _Billy thought, _probably nothing too smart.._

"I'll get someone to pick it up if I don't come back for it," I said, keeping my expression calm. "Thanks again, Billy. For everything."

_I don't think I have another choice, _Billy thought, _I wish Jake's pack could kill those wolves, then I wouldn't need any help from his family. _

"No problem," Billy said, "I'll do anything I can to help."

I nodded, and walked back down the stairs, then walked over to Leah and Louis.

_What the hell do you want? _Leah thought, staring at me.

"Will you be free tomorrow, Louis?" I asked, "We might come back over. Didn't get much done cause of our visitors."

"Any time is fine, Edward," Louis said.

"My family will be happy to hear that," I said, "We'll see you then."

Louis nodded and I walked away.

_Good riddance, _Leah thought.

I grinned and started up the driveway. My plan was to find the two younger male policemen. I had read in their minds that they were planning on going to the Graysons, and I knew that nothing good would come out of that. If there was a way to stop them, I knew I had to find it. The last thing I wanted was for the Graysons to find out the police from Seattle were in the area.

I ran into the forest. I hadn't been very far into the Quileute reservation, so I didn't know exactly where I was going. I figured I would run near the roads until I recognized the voices of the two policemen I was looking for. Hopefully they hadn't left La Push just yet. I remained in the forest, but followed the roads. A couple minutes later I saw another house. A squad car was sitting in the driveway behind another car. It was Sue Clearwater's car. I had seen it a few times before. Even though I could hear a man's thoughts, I wasn't sure if it was the voice I had heard back at Billy's house. The problem was that only one of the two men was following ever spoke up (even in his mind) back at Billy's house. It was easy to see that the other policemen was pretty shy, but to not say anything in his mind? That was a different story.

It spooked me at first, because I thought there was something more to the policemen than that. But I soon realized I _could _get into his head. Even though he wasn't thinking words I would still be able to hear him if he did. With the werewolves, it was a lot different. It was as if a thousand bees were buzzing in my ears when I tried to listen to the werewolves. To make it worse, I also felt really blind when looking into the werewolves' minds. It was a lot worse than not being able to hear Bella. I was used to her, but even then it wasn't even close to the feeling I had trying to get into the minds of the werewolves.

I listened for a more familiar voice and got what I wanted. The policemen I was looking for was thinking how tall one of the Quileutes were. I figured he had just met Seth. I grinned: I had found my targets. I wasn't too late. Now I just had to figure out how to stop them from going to the Graysons.

Suddenly, my cell-phone rang and I dug it out of my pocket and opened it, then put it to my ear.

"Hello?" I said.

"Why do I see you disappearing out of my visions?" a cool, light voice asked.

I sighed. It was Alice.

"Hello to you too, Alice," I said.

"What are you not telling me, Edward?" Alice asked.

"Relax, Alice," I said. "I'm following a couple of the Seattle police around. It looks like they might be heading for the Grayson's house soon, and I am trying to stop them."

"You tell me that and you expect me to relax?" Alice asked, "Wait. You're trying to stop them. I didn't see that."

"You saw me disappear out of your visions?" I asked.

"Yeah, Edward," Alice said, "Poof!"

I growled.

"I guess they'll be going to the Graysons house before I can do anything," I said.

"And you're planning on following them?" Alice asked.

"You know what is going to happen," I said, "And you don't need your visions for that. We don't need the Graysons finding out about the police. But it looks like it is going to happen anyway."

"So don't go," Alice said. "If things are going to happen, then let it take it's course."

"You would know about that," I said, "Wouldn't you."

"Edward," Alice said, "I'm serious."

"If you're so worried about me," I said, "Tell Emmett to meet me near the Grayson house. I won't be in the jeep. I left it at Jacob's house, so one of you will have to get it."

"Where's Bella?" Alice asked.

"Don't you already know?" I asked.

"I was too worried about you to bother with her," Alice said.

"I'm sure Bella will love to hear that," I said.

I grinned as I heard Alice hiss.

"Bella's taking her father home," I said. "He wanted to talk to her about Louis."

"He's getting more and more suspicious, isn't he?" Alice asked.

"He knows enough about the werewolves, Alice," I said. "He doesn't need to get any more suspicious."

"You know I wasn't talking about that," Alice said, seriously.

I sighed. I knew exactly what she meant.

"Yeah, Alice," I said, "He's getting more suspicious."

"I thought so," Alice said. "Should we talk to Carlisle about it?"

"I think Carlisle knows already," I said.

"Yeah, you are probably right," Alice said.

I heard the front door of Sue Clearwater's house slam and then realized I didn't see the squad car.

"Edward?" Alice asked, "What's going on?"

I looked along the road and found the squad car again. It was headed out of La Push... and I knew where they were headed.

"Damn it!" I growled.

"What's wrong, Edward?" Alice asked.

"I need to get going," I said, "The guys from Seattle are on the move. Looks like they are going to the Graysons now."

"I'll send Emmett your way," Alice said. "Be careful."

"Always am," I said.

Alice snorted and then I heard the cellphone click off. I shut the cellphone and pocketed it, then ran off through the forest toward the squad car. So Alice saw me disappear from her visions. That only meant one of two things: I was either following the squad car to Nessie, or we were headed for the Graysons. Nessie did cause Alice's visions to go fuzzy, but I knew I wasn't headed for her. I continued to follow the squad car, keeping a couple dozen yards away in the forest so they wouldn't see me. My destination: the Grayson house.

------------------------

Ten minutes later, I ran out of forest near the highway. If I didn't want the police to see me, I was going to have to stay in the forest. Lucky for me, there was miles of forest before it stopped, but it was quite a few yards away from the highway. I knew where the police were headed though. I just had to hope I got there before they did. Maybe I would have a chance to stop them before they went up the driveway. The question was: how was I going to do it?

I ran through the forest and headed for the Grayson's house. Five minutes later, I saw the Grayson's house a few yards in front of me. I slowed to a jog. If I made too much noise, I knew it wouldn't be the police I would have to worry about. The werewolves would probably hear me before I got too close if I wasn't careful. I slowed to a walking pace as I got closer and I was finally at the forest's edge near the perimeter of the Grayson's lot. The long driveway was in plain view. I looked around quickly, but I didn't see the squad car. I grinned. I had made it to the house before them.

_Edward! _A voice thought. _Can you hear me? Over here!_

It was Emmett. I looked around and saw him across the clearing that was the front yard of the Grayson residence. I motioned for him to come over here and he nodded and disappeared into the trees. A few moments later, I heard a soft whoosh and Emmett appeared near me.

"What's up, bro?" he asked.

_What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into this time, _Emmett thought.

"Didn't Alice tell you?" I asked.

"She just told me to head for the Grayson's house," Emmett said, "She said I would find you here."

"The Graysons are about to have a couple of visitors," I said.

"It isn't us, is it?" Emmett asked.

I shook my head. Before I could say anything, Emmett's question was already being answered. I heard a soft rumble of tires on gravel and turned in the direction of the noise. The squad car was making it's way up the Grayson's driveway.

"You gotta be kidding me," Emmett said, "What are they doing here?"

"They saw the house on the way here," I said, "And it looks like their curiosity got the best of them."

"I guess they never heard the one about curiosity and the cat," Emmett said.

"Yeah," I said.

"Do you think we can stop them?" Emmett asked.

"No," I said.

"So we're just going to sit here and let the Graysons find out that the Seattle police are in the area?" Emmett asked. "I thought that is exactly what we didn't want."

"Do you have a better idea?" I asked, staring at Emmett.

"Why are we even here then?!" Emmett asked me.

"I don't know," I said, "But I have a feeling we might find out soon."

I nodded toward the squad car. It had pulled up outside the front door of the Graysons house. The two policemen stepped out of the car.

"Idiots," Emmett muttered, "It's suicide."

"Big house, isn't it, Joe?" one of the policemen said.

I could hear the policeman clearly from this distance. It was as if I was standing right by them.

"Yeah it is, Jerry," Joe said, "Owners must be wealthy. Don't think I could own a house like this on my salary."

"They probably won the lottery," Jerry said, "Bet they're elderly folk. Old farts win the lottery all the time and die before they spend half of it."

"I don't know, Jerry," Joe said, "You heard what that lady said back on the reservation. Didn't she say she went to a party here a few days back?"

"That's what she said," Jerry said.

"She said the family here is a couple with a lot of kids," Joe said.

"You're right," Jerry said.

"I know I am," Joe said.

"Speaking of kids," Jerry said, "From the pictures in her house, that lady had a daughter. And I'll bet my salary that girl we met at that crippled man's house was her daughter. Remember her? The girl with the European kid?"

"Oh yeah," Joe said.

"And you know what, Joe," Jerry said. "I'm starting to think that European kid lives here."

"Why do you say that?" Joe asked.

"Detective's intuition," Jerry said.

"You're not a detective," Joe said.

"Yeah, well, I will be soon," Jerry said.

_Are these guys going to keep talking or are they going to ring the damn doorbell? _Emmett thought.

Joe and Jerry walked up to the door. Joe knocked on it.

"Here comes the excitement," Emmett said.

A few moments later, the door opened. I didn't see who opened it, but I heard a voice.

"Yes?" a voice said. It sounded like a young boy's voice.

"Hello there," Joe said, "Are your parents home?"

"Yeah," the boy said.

"Can you go get them please?" Joe asked.

"Come on in," the boy said, "My Dad is in his den."

"Don't go in there, you idiots," Emmett said.

Joe and Jerry walked into the house. The door closed.

"Idiots!" Emmett said again, then looked at me, "Great. Now what do we do?"

"I'm going closer," I said.

"Do you got a death wish?!" Emmett asked.

"I have to know what is going on, Em," I said.

_And I thought those cops were idiots! _Emmett thought.

"This is a suicide mission," Emmett said.

I ignored Emmett and started walking toward the forest's edge.

_Damn it! _Emmett thought. _He's going to get me killed._

I then heard Emmett's footsteps behind me. I turned to him.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm going with you," Emmett said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because if I don't," Emmett said, "And you survive this, I am not going to hear the end of it. You daring to get yourself into trouble while I stay behind like a wimp? Alice would never let me hear the end of it."

I grinned and started off toward the house.

"Oh, bro?" Emmett said.

I sighed and turned back to him.

"Do me a favor," he said. "Don't get me killed."

"I'll do my best," I said.

_I knew you were going to say that, _Emmett thought.

I grinned and ran off toward the side of the enormous house.

_I'll go toward the back, bro, _Emmett thought, _You take the front._

I nodded. Emmett ran ahead of me and ducked behind a lone tree in the back yard of the house.

_Damn it, _he thought, _Can't hear a thing. Hope you have better luck._

I walked slowly against the wall and then lowered myself against the hedges. Suddenly I heard conversation.

"Dad." It was the boy's voice again. "We have visitors."

"Who is it?" Lyle Grayson's voice asked.

"Car out front says they're police from Seattle," the boy said.

I wished I could have heard Lyle's thoughts right then. It would have been very interesting to know what he was thinking.

Suddenly, I heard a noise. It was coming from behind me.

_Relax, Edward, _Emmett thought, before I could turn around, _It's just me. What's going on?_I shook my head and pointed toward the house. I heard footsteps coming from the house. I crept along the bushes, keeping as low as I could get. Emmett followed behind me.

"Hello, gentleman," Lyle's voice said. "How may I help you?"

"We're in the area investigating the attacks around the Olympic Peninsula," Joe said. "Maybe you know something about it?"

_Oh yeah, great question, idiot! _Emmett thought.

"What is that supposed to mean?!" Lyle asked.

"We're just trying to see if anyone in the area might have seen anything suspicious, sir," Jerry said, "My partner didn't mean anything by it other than that."

"Oh, yes, of course," Lyle said. "Um... no, sir, I don't think we've seen anything suspicious?"

"Are you sure, sir?" Joe asked. "Maybe you saw anything out near La Push?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," Lyle said.

"May I ask, sir?" Jerry said, "Are you, perhaps, from Europe?"

"Yeah," Lyle said, "What does that have to do with anything?!"

"Well, sir," Jerry said, "We were out in La Push on the Quileute reservation and there was this kid there. He had the same accent you do. And now that I think about it. Your young son over there looks a lot like this kid."

"You've seen Louis?" a female voice said.

"Is that his name?" Jerry said, "Louis? Is that your other son? Did Louis run away recently?"

"Yes, sir," Lyle's wife said, "We didn't know where he was."

"Apparently he is living with one of the Quileute people," Jerry said.

"Louis' new girlfriend is Quileute," Lyle's wife said.

"Do you think the Quileutes have anything to do with the things that have been happening around here?" Lyle asked.

"They are pretty suspicious," Jerry said, "The young boys there are pretty big. It's just a lead we're going on."

"Jerry, can I speak to you in private, please?" Joe said.

Jerry didn't answer, but a moment later, the door opened, and the two police officers walked out.

_Dude, we need to hide! _Emmett thought, "_They'll see us."_

I nodded and backed up around the corner of the house with Emmett.

"What do you think?" Jerry said, in a hushed whisper.

"I think we should bring the father in," Joe said.

"You think he's suspicious?" Jerry asked.

"You heard his tone," Joe said. "It's defensive. Besides, if that crippled Indian is right and these guys are new to the area, they'd be the perfect candidate. You know why we came to Forks, right? Forks is the only town in the area that hasn't had any attacks. So I think the culprit is in the area."

"And you think this guy is the culprit?" Jerry asked.

"If he isn't, he is hiding something," Joe said, "I'm damned positive."

"Let's bring him in, then," Jerry said. "Should we call Brent?"

"Don't see why we should," Joe said.

"I don't know, Joe," Jerry said.

"Oh, come on, Jerry," Joe said, "You say you want to be a detective? You know how close you'll be to that promotion if we caught the Olympic Peninsula Serial Killers on our own?"

"I like the sound of that," Jerry said, chuckling.

"Come on," Joe said.

I heard footsteps and Joe and Jerry walked back into the house.

"Sir?" Jerry said, "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to come with us. It's just precautions. We just need to ask a few more questions. Joe?"

I heard more footsteps and something that sounded like metal.

_Handcuffs! _Emmett thought.

I nodded. Emmett was right. I continued to listen. Suddenly...

"Joe!" Jerry yelled, "Look out!"

Suddenly I heard a rustle and then the sound of metal clanging and then a crack! It sounded as if a bone had just broken.

_Did Lyle just break that man's neck?! _Emmett thought.

"Oh, my god!" Jerry yelled.

The door opened and Jerry ran out of the house, screaming. He ran toward the car. Suddenly, Lyle ran out of the house with neck-breaking speed and charged toward the car. Jerry ran for the driver's side door, and Lyle jumped onto the hood of the car. The hood of the car bent under his feet. Lyle then jumped onto the ground right in front of Jerry.

Jerry pulled out his gun and Lyle smacked the gun away. It broke into a dozen pieces as it smashed the ground.

"Please don't do this!" Jerry begged, "I promise we will leave you alone. Just let me live!"

"Go," Lyle said.

_He's actually going to let that cop live? _Emmett thought.

Without another word, Jerry started running down the driveway. Lyle was staring at him.

"No," I breathed, only loud enough for Emmett to hear, "He isn't."

Suddenly, Lyle ran toward Jerry, and before Jerry could even react, Lyle had caught up to him. Lyle slammed Jerry to the ground. The blow of the landing seemed to stun Jerry. Jerry whimpered as Lyle walked over to him. Lyle grabbed the cop's head with both of his large arms and with one swift movement, twisted Jerry's head. I heard the bones of his neck crack with the sound of a dozen simultaneous gunshots, and I knew Jerry was dead.  
_We gotta get out of here! _Emmett said, _Come on, Edward!_I nodded, still staring at Lyle. Emmett tapped me on the shoulder and I turned around. We ran off into the forest in the direction of Forks. When we were a couple hundred yards away from the Grayson house, Emmett stopped. I stopped as well and ran back to him. He punched the nearest tree and it fell to the ground with a loud crush.

"Easy, Em," I said, "Calm down."

"Calm down?" Emmett said, "Calm – you want me to calm down? Did you just see --"

He pointed a large arm in the distance of the Grayson house.

"You were watching the same thing I was, right?" Emmett asked.

"Yeah," I said.

"I knew werewolves could do stuff like that," Emmett said, "But only in their wolf form! That was unnatural!"

"What, in our existence, isn't unnatural?" I asked.

"How can you be so calm about this?" Emmett asked, "We have to face that!"

"Yes, and now we know what we're up against," I said.

Emmett scoffed.

"We need to get back," I said. "We need to tell Bella and the others what we saw."

"He knew we were there, didn't he?" Emmett asked me.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Broken necks, Edward," Emmett said, "The most lethal way to kill a vampire. Start with the head, break the neck and rip off the head. He sent another message. He knew we were there."

I sighed.

"Yeah, Em," I said, "He knew we were there."

-------------------------------------

**Cliffhanger! I loved this chapter, especially the second half! Now, I know you might say that Emmett might have seemed a little out of character at that last portion of the chapter, but I thought it was fine.**

**Oh, and if you want to know: my original title for this chapter was "Curiosity Killed The Cat".**

**More to come! Feedback would be awesome!**


	23. Truth Be Told

**Chapter 23  
****Truth Be Told**

**  
Author's Note: My sincere apologies for the very long delay in writing. I couldn't figure out what to do next, but I have a few ideas. So without further ado, enjoy. **

**(Edward's PoV)**

Emmett stared at the ground and the fallen tree for half a minute in silence, though the thoughts in his head were loud enough and they would have probably drowned out his voice anyway. I could tell he was very angry, and I knew well enough to leave him to his thoughts. Unfortunately I couldn't ignore them.

_Just what was he thinking coming out here anyway? _Emmett thought, _Foolish Edward! Foolish! Just what did he think he would gain by coming out here?_I knew I needed to calm Emmett down before his temper rose any more.

"I thought I could stop them," I said.

"Who, Edward?" Emmett said, looking up at me, "Stop who? The police or the werewolves? Oh, why does it matter anyway? Either answer would still be damn foolish! What were you thinking?"

"I think you know what I was thinking, Em," I said.

"You're the only one in this family who can read minds, remember?" Emmett said.

"I was trying to stop the police before the werewolves found out they were in the area," I said.

"And how were you going to do that?" Emmett asked, "Walk right up to them and say 'Officer, you can't go in that house. There are werewolves in there. How do I know that? Oh, because I am a damn vampire!' Is that what you were thinking?"

"I hadn't planned that far," I admitted, "I was in the middle of it when you showed up, and I got distracted."

"Why am I even out here, Edward?" Emmett asked, "Did you think we were going to fight the werewolves if we had to?"

I stared at Emmett and realized I had no definite answer to that question.

"We are not ready, Edward!" Emmett said, "Did you see what Lyle Grayson did to that cop?! Do you know just how strong werewolves are or did you forget about that? Did you forget the purpose of our training? All we would have done was gotten ourselves killed."

"Well, maybe that is why we are out here," I said.

"What?" Emmett scoffed, "To get ourselves killed?"

"No," I said, "Before now, the only knowledge we had of the werewolves' strength was Louis' training and of the stories we've heard over time. None of that prepared us for what we saw today."

"Well that's just great, Edward," Emmett said, "We learn one valuable piece of information. But at what cost? Huh? The werewolves know about the police in the area. They aren't dumb, Edward. They will realize that they will have attention coming their way. We can't do anything about it right now because we can't go up against that right now."

"Well, we're going to have to do something," I said, "Quickly."

"Quickly," Emmett scoffed, "Well, that is just fantastic. We had a nice little pace going with Louis, and now you go along and hit the fast-forward button and speed it all up. I have news for you, Edward. I don't think that is going to work!"

"We'll see what the others have to say," I said, "Maybe we can think of something."

Emmett scoffed, but said nothing else. He ran off in the direction of Forks and I followed him, keeping a few yards behind him and his possible path of destruction. When we were a couple miles from Forks, Emmett stopped suddenly. I stopped as well.

"What is it this time?" I asked, "Look, if you are going to yell at me again, can it please wait until we get to the house?"

"Someone's coming," Emmett said.

He nodded toward the direction of the highway. I concentrated in that direction and listened for any thoughts. I couldn't hear any for almost a full minute, then...

_...can't believe I had to go back to that smelly dog reservation and pick up Edward's truck. Is that what I've turned into now? A damn errand girl. Pfftt! If you think I'm going to be your little slave-girl, Alice, you got another thing coming..._I grinned and turned to Emmett.

"It's Rosalie," I said, "She's coming back from picking up the truck in La Push."

Emmett's voice boomed with laughter.

"Bet she loves that!" he said, chuckling, "Let's go surprise her, eh?"

I agreed. Anything to make Emmett happy again.

He ran off in the direction of the road and I followed him. When we reached the treeline, Emmett jumped out into the road... just as Rosalie came around the corner. A loud screech of rubber on pavement was heard as Rosalie hit the breaks and stopped the car inches in front of Emmett. Rosalie's eyes were wide with surprise as she watched Emmett and I get into the truck. I chose to sit as close to the window as I could. I may not have foresight like Alice, but I could already see Rosalie's anger escalating, and I wanted to be as far from her as possible.

"You almost gave me a damn heart attack!" Rosalie screeched.

"Oh, that makes it sound like you have a heart, Rose!" Emmett said, laughing.

Rosalie hissed.

"What are you doing out here?" Rosalie asked. "Scratch that. Why am I out here to pick up the truck when I know very well you could have driven it home... Edward?"

"Yes, Edward," Emmett said, in a mock-innocent voice, "Why _are _we out here?"

I gritted my teeth.

"Can we just go home?" I asked, "We can explain everything then."

Emmett snorted. Rosalie started up the truck again and started down the highway.

* * *

**(Bella's PoV)**

Charlie had become very silent since our discussion had ended. His eyesight was concentrated more on the road in front of us, and the landscape outside the passenger-side window. Though I did catch him look at me a couple times, then look somewhere else just as quick. I could hear his teeth grinding, and knew there was something else he was wanting to ask me, but I didn't want to pursue it. The only other sound in the car was the crackling in Charlie's walkie-talkie.

My thoughts were on Edward, wondering what he was doing at the moment. He had said something about wanting to follow two of the Seattle policemen around and make sure they didn't get into trouble. He also said they might have been wanting to go to the Grayson's house. I hoped he succeeded in keeping them away, knowing the consequences of what might happen if Lyle Grayson found out there was an investigation going on in the area.

Suddenly, the crackling in Charlie's walkie-talkie became louder.

"Hey, Chief?" Hal's voice said in the walkie-talkie, "You there?"

Charlie jolted from his thoughts and took the walkie-talkie from his belt and put it to his mouth.

"Yeah, Hal," Charlie said, "What is it?"

"Sergeant Cross just called me a couple minutes ago," Hal said, "He was wondering if I had heard from Jerry Davis or Joe Harris. I told him I hadn't. Have you?"

"Been silent on my end until you called, Hal," Charlie said.

"Well, Cross sounds pretty worried, Chief," Hal said.

"I'll look into it," Charlie said, "Chief, out."

"Over and out," Hal said.

My mind started to spin. Harris and Davis were the two policemen that Edward had followed around, and were apparently headed straight to the Grayson's house. Had something happened there?

Charlie spun the dial on the walkie-talkie, then put it back to his mouth.

"Chief Swan to Joe Harris or Jerry Davis," he said, "Come in, please."

Charlie stared at the walkie-talkie but the only sound was a long crackle.

"Chief Swan to Joe Harris or Jerry Davis," he repeated, "Come in, damn it. Where are you?"

Another long crackle. Charlie swore and returned the walkie-talkie to his belt.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

"On the way down to the reservation," Charlie said, "We passed the Grayson's house. I tried to distract Sergeant Cross and Officer Sears as we passed it, but they noticed it."

"How could they not?" I asked, "It's pretty big."

"I've tried my best to keep the investigation away from the Grayson's house and La Push," Charlie said, "But it looks like I screwed that up."

"So you think Harris and Davis went to the Grayson's house?" I asked.

"Right," Charlie said, "And if they aren't picking up..."

He hit the door with his fist.

"Something must have happened," Charlie said, "Damn it!"

"What do you want to do?" I asked.

"I'll go back to the station," Charlie said, "Maybe nothing happened. Maybe their radio is just having difficulties."

"And if something did happen?" I asked.

Charlie looked at me and sighed.

"Sergeant Cross will realize something is definitely wrong here," he said, "He'll send more backup from Seattle. And this time it probably won't just be a handful of people."

"I have to do something," I said.

"Bella, no," Charlie said. "You promise me you will stay away from the Graysons. Hell, promise me you'll stay away from La Push. If something really is going to happen, it may happen there, and I won't let you get hurt."

I sighed. Here we go again. Charlie believing that Jacob's pack can take down the werewolves. Why did I come up with that stupid story anyway?! I had to say something.

"I can't just sit by, Charlie!" I said, "Those are my friends."

"You can't do anything," Charlie said, "Just like I can't. Let the Quileutes take care of it. You may not live with me anymore, but I am still your Father, Bella. As your father, and... well, I didn't want to go this far, but as Sheriff of Forks, I am telling you not to go to La Push."

"Or what?" I asked, "You'll arrest me?"

"Well..." Charlie said.

He then sighed quite audibly and hit the door again.

"Damn it, Bella," Charlie said, "Why are you so... so..."

"Hard-headed?" I suggested.

"Yeah!" Charlie said.

"I guess I got it from my father," I said.

Charlie sighed. That seemed to quiet him. Silence reigned again as I drove the car toward the police station. A few minutes later, we pulled into the parking lot. Charlie opened the door, then looked back at me.

"Promise me you won't do anything to put yourself in danger," he said, frowning.

I sighed, then crossed my fingers away from his view.

"I promise," I said.

Charlie smiled and got out of the car. He shut the door, and I drove off out of the parking lot. I immediately took my cell-phone out of my pocket and dialed Edward's number, then put the phone to my ear.

"Pick up, pick up!" I said, sighing.

Click.

"Hello?" Edward said.

"Where are you?" I asked.

"Heading for the house," Edward said, "Rosalie and Emmett are with me."

"Hey Bella!" Emmett's voice said.

"Shut up!" Edward said, then sighed, "Need anything, Bella?"

"I thought you were following those two policemen," I said.

"I was," Edward said.

"Where are they now?" I asked.

Edward audibly sighed.

"Something went wrong, didn't it?" I asked, "I just dropped Charlie off at the police station. While we were on the road, Hal called him. He said that Sergeant Cross was worried about Davis and Harris."

"Yeah, Bella," Edward said, "Something went wrong. Look... meet at the house. We'll talk about it then."

"Okay," I said, "I love you."

"I love you too," Edward said, "Bye."

Click.

I stared at the road in front of me, though I was deep in thought. What was Edward not telling me? Why was Emmett and Rosalie with him? What exactly had happened at the Grayson house? I then realized I was driving much faster then I was before I called Edward. I slowed down immediately. Unlike my husband and extended family, I wasn't very fond of speeding while driving. My father being a cop probably had something to do with that.

I had to get these thoughts out of my head until I was able to get answers or I would make myself crazy with worry. I had to find a way to distract myself. I turned on the radio, and switched through the stations until there was a good song. Unfortunately I couldn't find one song I liked. Ugh! I tapped my fingers lightly on the steering wheel, weighing my options.

Of course. Ever since I came to Forks, and I couldn't talk to Edward about something that was bothering me, there was one other person whom I could confide and trust in. I dialed the number on my cellphone.

Click.

"Hello?" Jacob said.

"Hey, Jake," I said, "It's Bella."

"Bella!" Jacob said, "What's up? Is it Nessie --"

"Nessie's still with her grandmother," I said, sighing. "I doubt anything is wrong with her. Do you always have to come to that conclusion when I call?"

"Sorry," Jacob said, "It's an imprint thing."

"Right," I said, rolling my eyes.

"So why did you call?" Jacob asked.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Still escorting Deputy Dork around La Push," Jacob said. "Ha! He heard that. Good."

"The Sergeant is still with you?" I asked.

"Yeah," Jacob said, "I swear, we're probably going to go to every house on this reservation. There are people we are visiting I haven't even talked to in months."

He lowered his voice.

"You should have seen Paul when we came by his place," he said, "I thought he was going to phase at any moment. He hates authority."

"What has Cross been saying?" I asked.

"All kinds of rubbish," Jacob said. "Though he does seem more worried then he did when he first came by my place. Don't know what that is all about."

"I think I do," I said.

"Oh?" Jacob asked.

"I just got off the phone with Edward," I said. "He was following the other two cops around. Want to guess where they went?"

"The Grayson house?" Jacob asked, "Right?"

"Yeah," I said.

"Damn it," Jacob said, "Cross has been talking about that a lot. He's asking everyone if they know anything about the people who live there. So what happened?"

"That's the thing," I said, "Edward didn't tell me. He said I had to wait until he got home so he could tell the whole family. But my father tried to contact the two cops and they didn't answer. I fear something went really wrong. Charlie said that if something did happen, Cross was going to call the Seattle station for more backup. A lot more backup."

Jacob cursed.

"Yeah, tell me about it," I said.

"So what are we going to do about it?" Jacob asked.

"I don't know," I said.

"Maybe I should talk to Louis when I get back home," Jacob said, "Maybe he'll know."

"I don't know, Jake," I said, "He may overreact, and we don't even know what went wrong. Maybe you should wait until we're there... you know, just in case."

Jacob sighed.

"Right," he said, though I could tell he was annoyed. "You know how much of a pain it is that I can't do anything about these things?"

"Yeah, Jake," I said, "I know. I wish you could do something too. Well, I better go. I'll tell you more when I know more."

"Sure," Jacob said, "I better go anyway. Deputy Dork is getting annoyed."

"See you later, Jacob," I said.

"Sure, sure," Jacob said.

Click.

--------------------------------------------  
**(Edward's PoV)  
**

Bella was home when we arrived at the house.

"Daddy!" Nessie squealed when I walked into the house.

I grasped her in a soft hug.

"Daddy needs to talk to the grown-ups," I said to her, "Can you go play upstairs?"

Nessie nodded and walked up the stairs. I walked into the living room, where everyone was either sitting or standing, though they are all in the same area. And they were all staring at me.

_Brace yourself, Edward, _Alice thought, and I looked directly at her, _I haven't told them much, but that might have been worse than doing the exact opposite. I guess it's my fault. I've been quiet ever since you called, trying to focus on what happened. Jasper noticed, and then everyone else did._"Is there something you would like to tell us, Edward?" Carlisle asked.

I looked at Emmett.

_Don't look at me, _he said, _I am not helping. You got center stage here._

"Son?" Carlisle asked. I cleared my throat.

"When the police first showed up to Billy Black's house," I said, "I listened to their thoughts. Apparently a conversation had just finished between the four officers, because everyone was thinking about the same thing: who was living at the large house they had passed by and could they have anything to do with the investigation? Two of the officers, Harris and Davis, were thinking about it more than the others, and Harris was complaining about going to the house, thinking they already had the suspects they were looking for."

"You mean that they are sure that the Quileutes are responsible?" Bella asked.

"That's what Sergeant Cross thinks anyway," I said. "Anyway, from what I heard, I knew Harris and Davis would probably be heading to the Grayson's house. I realized then I had to stop them."

"Why?" Carlisle asked.

"I was thinking about what we had recently discussed," I said. "About how we couldn't let the Graysons find out about the investigation, and that it would only anger them and possibly cause more casualties. I couldn't let that happen. So I followed Davis and Harris. Before I could figure out how to stop them, they were headed for the Grayson's house."

"Wait a moment," Rosalie asked. "Where does Emmett come into this? He was with you."

Before I could answer, Alice spoke up.

"I was watching Edward and Bella's futures after we left them," Alice said, "And Edward disappeared from it. I called him and asked him what he was doing. He told me he was following the two officers to the Graysons house, so I told him I would send Emmett his way."

"And I wouldn't have gone if I knew what was going to happen," Emmett said.

"So what _did _happen?" Bella asked.

"When I arrived at the Grayson's house," I said, continuing from where I stopped, "The police hadn't shown up yet. I was trying to decide how I would stop them, then Emmett arrived. Before I knew it, the police were pulling into the driveway and I couldn't do anything without the possibility of the Graysons noticing. So I let things proceed. The two policemen went into the house, confronted Lyle Grayson and talked to him. They decided that Lyle was being defensive with his answers to their questions and proceeded to arrest him."

"That's where it all went south," Emmett said.

"We didn't see exactly what first took place," I said, "But there was some commotion. Lyle must have overpowered Harris, because Davis was telling him to look out. Then we heard a sound like bones cracking. Lyle had broken Harris' neck."

Bella gasped. I ignored all the panicked thoughts I suddenly heard and continued, knowing I couldn't do it if I stopped.

"Davis ran out of the house, and we saw everything from there," I said, "Davis went running for his car, and Lyle chased after him."

"The speed and strength of that man was amazing," Emmett said, "And not in a good way."

"Davis tried to escape in his car," I said, "But by the time he got there, Lyle was right on top of him. He disabled the police car by just jumping on the hood, probably destroying the engine there. Davis tried to persuade Lyle to spare him. At first he let Davis go, and Davis ran down the driveway, and Lyle caught up to him. He then broke Davis' neck as well."

"Those poor men," Esme said, shuddering visibly.

"You couldn't do anything?" Bella asked.

"If we intervened, and the others hear us, we would have been outnumbered," I said.

"I wasn't going to try to stop Lyle anyway!" Emmett said, "You didn't see him. Louis was right about his father. You think Louis is strong? He doesn't have anything on his father!"

"It was probably best that you didn't intervene," Carlisle said. "The fates of those two policemen had been decided when they entered the Grayson's house."

"So what do we do now?" Rosalie asked.

Everyone went quiet.

"Well, I'm all for staying put and letting things happen without us," Rosalie said.

"Are you serious, Rose?" I asked. "Do you know what is going to happen if we don't do anything?"

"My father said that when Cross finds out what happened," Bella said, "He'll probably send more police to Forks. Their investigation will be focused on the Graysons."

"Good," Rosalie said, "Maybe it will scare them out of the area then."

"Are you even listening to yourself, Rosalie?" Jasper asked, "The werewolves aren't going to be scared by a police force coming to Forks. The humans can't kill them, remember? It will be like sending lambs to the slaughterhouse."

"Jasper is right," Carlisle said, "We have to do something."

"Maybe we should talk to Louis," Bella said, "Maybe he can do something."

Everyone went silent again.

"Look," Bella said, "We all know how this has to end. We will be the only ones who will be able to stop the werewolves, no matter how strong they are. It is us or them. If you are not going to let the Volturi come and take care of it, then it has to be us. I am not going to let anything happen to Forks. We have to do something. So what do we do?"

"Bella is right," Carlisle said. "We should talk to Louis and see what he has to say. Maybe he knows something we don't. It's only logical."

Bella was the first to agree, and I followed suit. Everyone else slowly agreed.

"That does it then," Carlisle said. "Tomorrow we will meet with Louis again and see where we go from there. Until then, we have a lot to do. A battle with the werewolves is going to happen sooner than later and we need to be ready. We cannot rely on just training with Louis. We have to do it on our own as well. Bella, I need you to practice on your shield. I feel that will help us more than anything."

"All right," Bella said. "Edward? Can I talk to you please?"

I nodded and followed Bella into the next room.

"Earlier today," she said, when we had privacy, "You mentioned that you might know something that will help my shield. I need to know what is."

I sighed.

"You aren't going to like it," I warned her.

"Just let me have it," Bella said.

"All right," I said. "Do you remember when you were first training your shield?"

"Sure," Bella said.

"You were not doing very well at first," I said, "And then something happened. Do you remember what that was?"

Bella looked past me, and I knew she was trying to look into the past. She frowned, and I wondered if she had realized what I meant. Then she shook her head.

"I don't remember," she said.

I sighed. I prepared myself. She was not going to like this answer.

"There is one thing in this world that powered your shield more than anything," I said, "Thinking of the people you loved gave your shield its power."

Bella's eyes went wide.

"No, Edward," she said, "You can't be saying --"

"I am, Bella," I said, "You are going to have to use the one thing you would protect more than anything else in this world... Nessie."

* * *

**Cliffhanger! Wow that was a hard chapter to write. It took so long because I couldn't decide what I wanted to do in this chapter. I knew I wanted to use that last part. And I knew there would be something to do with Louis coming up. Just couldn't figure out how to get there. **

**Sorry, again, for the long delay. I hope my next chapter is done a lot sooner than this one.**

Feedback would be great!


	24. Chapter 24: No Title

**Chapter 24  
****No Title**

**  
Author's Note: I am really horrible at naming chapters, and I really have no title for this one, so that is why it is "No Title". Enjoy!**

**(Bella's PoV)**How could Edward even suggest this? Did he believe for one moment that I would be okay with it? Risk my... Edward's... our own daughter's life by using her as a way to strengthen my shield?

"N-no!" I stammered, "I can't – I won't – how could you even –? No!"

"Nothing will happen to her, Bella," Edward said.

"How can you say that?!" I asked, my voice raising higher, "After what you just saw out there?! This is our daughter, Edward! How could you even suggest it?"

"Bella, do you think I would even risk our daughter's life like that?" Edward asked.

"Then why did you suggest it?" I asked.

Edward sighed.

"I'm not saying I take back my suggestion," he said, "I am saying that I promise she won't get hurt if you go along with my offer."

"How can you promise that?" I asked, "We don't even know if it will work, and even if it does, I can't sit back and guard Nessie and fight the werewolves as well."

"Jacob could protect her," Edward said.

"Jacob cannot fight the werewolves, Edward!" I said, "Or did you just forget that all of a sudden?"

"That is not what I meant, Bella," Edward said, "Once we know that your shield is working, Jacob could get Nessie out of there."

I stared at my husband, not saying anything for a full minute. Part of me wanted to say that his idea sounded great. I wasn't going to admit it, but Edward seemed to be on the right track. My shield did strengthen when Nessie was by my side. But the thought of risking Nessie's life just to make my shield stronger was too hard to bear. Especially when we would be going up against werewolves.

"I – I need to think about this," I said.

"You might accept?" Edward asked.

I didn't answer immediately.

"Bella, please tell me what you are thinking," Edward said.

"I think I want to think about this," I said.

Before Edward could say another word, I walked away from him, and headed up the stairs. Nessie was in Alice's bedroom, watching television. She hadn't noticed that I entered, so I closed the door silently and just looked at her. Could I really go along with Edward's plan and risk my daughter's life? Edward's promise to protect Nessie by having Jacob protect her seemed like it could work, but what if it didn't? Nessie was a part of me, as much as Edward and the Cullens were. I don't know what I'd do if I lost her.

"Hi, Mommy!" Nessie said, breaking me away from my thoughts.

"Hi, Nessie," I said, "What are you doing?"

"Watching TV," Nessie said.

"Can I join you?" I asked.

Nessie nodded. I smiled and sat down beside her. She was watching some annoying cartoon show, so I didn't pay much attention to it.

My thoughts were on her, and the discussion I had with my husband. I tried to play out all the possibilities in my head whether if I accepted or not. Was there any other way to strengthen my shield, or had Edward found the only way? Protecting against physical attacks would be much more difficult then mental attacks. What if I had failed, and Nessie was near me and she got injured in the process... or... or worse?

* * *

**(Edward's PoV)**When I walked back into the living room, my family was in the middle of a discussion.

"It has to happen sooner than later," Jasper said, "I think we can all agree on that."

"Speak for yourself," Rosalie said, disgusted.

"Rosalie," Carlisle began.

"No!" Rosalie spat, "I agreed to go along with this because I thought we could get this done without too many problems. And now..."

"So your backing out because you realized that the werewolves are stronger than you thought they were?" Jasper asked.

"I'm not going to get killed just to protect those Quileute mutts!" Rosalie said.

"Have you forgotten, Rose?" Jasper asked, "There's more to it now than just protecting the Quileutes. We are on the werewolves blacklist now."

"Then why don't we just leave?" Rosalie asked.

"No," Carlisle said. "We have never run away because of a threat before, and we are not starting now."

Carlisle looked up at me, then returned his attention to Rosalie.

"Bella would never leave while her father and the rest of Forks is in danger," he said, "And Edward wouldn't leave Bella, and we aren't going to leave Edward."

"It's Edward's fault we're in this mess!" Rosalie spat.

I started to say something, but Carlisle shook his head when he realized what I was doing.

_She's already near breaking point, Edward, _he thought. _Don't make it worse. Let me handle it._

He cleared his throat, then looked back at Rosalie.

"It's because of Edward that we know just how strong the werewolves are," Carlisle said. "Edward did nothing wrong. If he had stopped the two policemen, he and Emmett both might have been killed."

"It is not our fault that the policemen went to the Grayson's house," Rosalie said.

"I will agree with that," Carlisle said. "That is not our fault. But we will not run away and let more police die for a mistake from their counterpart."

Rosalie gritted her teeth, but she said no more.

_I still say it is your fault, Edward, _she thought. _This isn't over. You could have gotten Emmett killed, and I will never forgive you._

"So that puts us back where we started," Jasper said, "What is our next play?"

"I think we need to see what Louis has to say about this," Alice said.

"Yeah, and why he never told us exactly how strong his father was," Emmett said, "You think that would be one of the more important things he'd mention, right?"

"I think we need to discuss the actual attack with Louis," Jasper said, "I still don't believe that Louis is completely into joining the battle against his family."

"That's perfectly understandable," Esme said, joining the conversation for the first time, "It is his family, isn't it? Even if they did betray him."

"Actually, I think he betrayed them," Rosalie snorted.

"Either way," Esme said, "Would any of you want to attack a member of this family? Not because of how strong we are, but because we are your family. You need to look at it from Louis' point of view."

This silenced everyone for a good minute, though it didn't silence their thoughts. I didn't catch most of it because everyone's thoughts were overlapping each other's. Carlisle looked at me once more and his thoughts became louder.

_Edward, I would like to speak to you, please, _he thought, _In private. My office, perhaps?_I nodded and walked up to the second floor. As I walked by Alice's room, I heard Bella and Nessie talking to each other over the television. There were many times that I wished I could read Bella's mind. Although I respected her privacy, there were times I wanted to know exactly what she was thinking. She didn't voice her thoughts very well, and becoming a vampire didn't help that much either.

I couldn't blame Bella if she objected to my plan. Normally, I would never risk Nessie, Bella, or another member of my family for something so dangerous, but it seemed like this was anything but normal, even for a vampire. I was amazed when I first learned about Bella's shield, having never seen anything exactly like it before. Bella's love for her family seemed to be one of her greatest strengths, so it wasn't surprising that protecting Nessie gave her shield its power. But that love that Bella has could also be the reason she wouldn't go along with my plan...

"Edward," Carlisle said.

I jumped a little. I was so immersed in my thoughts, I hadn't realized I was already in Carlisle's office, nor that Carlisle had arrived. He walked over behind his desk and sat in the chair.

"It seems you've had a very interesting day today," Carlisle said.

"You could say that," I said.

Carlisle chuckled.

"I want you to know that I am not mad regarding your actions at the Grayson house," he said. "I understand your reasons for doing it, and I think you did more good than harm there. We gained valuable information today."

"You had no idea that the werewolves could do what I had described?" I asked, "Even out of their wolf form?"

"If I did, it was only guesswork," Carlisle said, "Until I met Louis, I had never met a werewolf before face-to-face. I guess I should count myself lucky."

"Marcus never discussed them with you?" I asked.

"Werewolves are not one of Marcus' favorite subjects to discuss openly," Carlisle said, "Even to his Volturi companions... past or present."

"Do you think we could do anything about the police force from Seattle?" I asked. "I am sure they will be coming this way once they realize two of their own have been killed while working on the investigation."

"I doubt it," Carlisle said. "Though perhaps Chief Swan could do something."

"I'll see if Bella will talk to him about it," I said.

"That is probably the best idea," Carlisle said. "Speaking of Bella, I couldn't help but overhear your discussion with her earlier."

"Regarding her shield?" I asked.

"And Nessie's possible participation," Carlisle said.

"It's only a theory," I said.

"I'd like to hear it," Carlisle said.

I sighed and didn't answer straight away. To be honest, the answer Carlisle wanted to hear seemed too hard to put into words.

"One of the disadvantages to being a vampire," Carlisle said, "is that you rarely get many of the pleasures you would have if you were human. One of those is children and grandchildren. So you can understand that having Nessie in my life is quite the gift. I would hate to lose her, and I am sure you feel the same way."

"Of course," I said.

"So you can see how difficult it is," Carlisle said, "for me to understand why you would want to risk such a gift."

"It's pretty hard to explain," I said.

"I'm sure I can keep up," Carlisle said.

I rolled my eyes. That was _my _line.

"Well," I said, hoping I could explain it, if I started it, "When Bella first learned about her gift, she was working on it, and... well, putting horrible cliches aside, she was failing miserably. Do you remember?"

"I wouldn't say she was failing miserably," Carlisle said. "But yes I remember."

"Well, when she held Nessie close to her," I said, "Something snapped in place."

"Her motherly instincts took over," Carlisle said, "Yes."

"I never thought about it that way before," I said. "That makes sense."

"Continue," Carlisle said.

"Well," I said again, "I thought that Nessie gave Bella's shield strength. Maybe not Nessie herself, perhaps, but the fact that because Bella was protecting Nessie, her shield became stronger."

"But she had only prepared it for mental attacks," Carlisle said, "It's a whole other story when it comes to physical attacks. But that isn't my only worry, Edward. What if it fails? It would put both Nessie and Bella in harm's way. I would hate to think of the consequences if that happened."

"We both know Bella can protect herself," I said.

"And Nessie?" Carlisle asked.

"Jacob could get her out of there," I said.

Carlisle stared at me, contemplating what we discussed.

"It's possible," he finally said. "I can see a lot of things that could go wrong, but I can also see that it could go right. And it could help us quite a bit. We already witnessed how far Bella's shield can extend. If it can prove to protect us against physical attacks, it would really make a difference. What did Bella decide?"

"She hasn't given me her decision yet," I said.

"So she hasn't rejected the idea?" Carlisle asked.

"Right," I said, "But she hasn't accepted it either."

"But she hasn't rejected it," Carlisle said, "Which means she is really thinking about it. Always look on the positive side of things, Edward."

"You really think it would be a good thing if she accepted it?" I asked.

"Are you doubting your idea?" Carlisle asked.

"I've had some doubts since thought about it to begin with," I said.

Carlisle only smiled.

"That is completely normal," he said, "If you were perfectly fine with it, you wouldn't find any problems with it, and then it might be a lot more dangerous than it is."

"So," I said, "What you are saying, is..."

"Be happy with whatever her answer is," Carlisle said, "You'll find it is a lot easier that way."

"What do we do if she doesn't accept?" I asked. "You must agree with me that Nessie is an important part of Bella's powers. Right?"

"I only said it was possible," Carlisle said, "But yes, casting technicalities aside, I do agree with you."

"Thank you," I said, "Now if you excuse me, I need to talk to Bella."

Carlisle smiled and I took that as a sign to leave. I walked out of Carlisle's office and down the hall toward Alice's room. I was about to knock on the door when it opened. Bella jumped when she saw me. I laughed.

"Even as a vampire, you're jumpy," I joked.

"I am not jumpy," Bella said, between her teeth. "You surprised me is all."

"Uh-huh," I said, smiling.

Bella rolled her eyes.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"Can I talk to you?" I asked.

"Sure," Bella said.

"Er," I said, looking over Bella's shoulder at Nessie, "Away from the munchkin."

"I heard that, Daddy!" Nessie said, giggling.

"Okay, I apologize," I said, "Can I borrow your mother for a little while?"

Nessie nodded. Bella walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

"Have you thought about what we discussed?" I asked.

Bella sighed.

"Yeah," she said.

Though she was facing me, I could tell Bella was looking over my shoulder instead of into my eyes. I knew she hadn't thought about it enough. Or if she had, she wasn't exactly sure about her answer.

"Perhaps you need to think about it more?" I asked.

"No," Bella said, shaking her head.

Okay, it was the second one.

"You aren't exactly sure about your answer?" I suggested.

"Edward, please," Bella said.

Now it was my turn to sigh. This wasn't going the way I expected, but like Carlisle said, I would have to agree with Bella's decision.

"Let me say what I want to say," Bella continued, "Or I'll never get it out."

I nodded, allowing her to continue.

"This plan of yours," she said. "Are you entirely sure it will work. Please be completely honest with me. Can you completely trust your plan?"

"No," I answered.

Bella frowned. She started to respond, but I placed my finger on her lip.

"Now it is my turn to explain," I said. "I just had a conversation with Carlisle. He told me that I shouldn't be completely positive about anything, because then I won't see any problems with it. Do you understand that?"

"Strangely, yeah," Bella said.

"Then do you understand why I said no?" I asked.

"So you do see problems with your plan?" Bella asked.

"Of course I do," I said, "I would be foolish if I didn't."

"Then how can you be so supportive of this plan?" Bella asked.

"I trust my instincts," I said, "And..."

I gulped. The next line was one I never thought I would say.

"I completely trust Jacob," I said.

"You do?" Bella asked.

"Well, as far as his part in my idea, yes," I said.

"Do you promise that Nessie won't get hurt?" Bella asked.

"Yes," I said, "If I wasn't sure about anything else, I am sure about that. I wouldn't be so supportive with this if I wasn't.

"Okay," Bella said.

"You'll go along with it?" I asked.

"Maybe," Bella said.

I sighed again. Bella could be so aggravating sometimes.

"Two things must happen first," she said.

"Okay," I said.

"Don't agree with me until you hear it," Bella said.

"Go on," I said.

"First," Bella said, "Nessie has to meet Louis. If she doesn't like him, it's a no-go."

"I agree," I said, "What's the other one."

"We have to train my shield with Nessie right beside me," Bella said.

"Of course," I said.

"I am not finished," Bella said, through her teeth, "Louis will be the one training us, of course."

I only stared at Bella. Could she be saying –?

"Nessie has to be as prepared as I am," Bella said, "If she gets scared at any point, we won't go along with it. I will not have her injured because she gets frightened."

"Louis will be training you?" I asked.

"Louis is the closest thing to what we will be facing," Bella said, "And Nessie has to understand that, if my shield is going to work."

"But what if I train with you?" I asked.

"It won't work," Bella said, shaking her head. "I have to believe Louis could actually attack me. He is the only one that it will work on."

"We'll have to talk to him, of course," I said.

"Of course," Bella said.

"So we're going on with the plan?" I asked.

"Yeah," Bella said. "It seems like the best idea."

"Okay," I said, "There is something else I need to talk to you about."

"Go ahead," Bella said.

"Carlisle thinks you should talk to your father," I said, "About the Seattle police. See if he can stop the reinforcements that will probably be coming."

"You know he won't be able to," Bella said.

"You need to at least try," I said, "Maybe he can slow them down. Maybe it will give us some time."

"I'll try," Bella said. "I'll call Jacob and tell him that we'll be heading for his place tomorrow to train with Louis again, then I'll call my father."

"What are you going to tell Jacob?" I asked, "Are you going to tell him Nessie will be coming along?"

"Yeah," Bella said, "He needs to be prepared."

"Okay," I said.

"First I am going to talk to Nessie and explain what we'll be doing," Bella said, "She needs to know."

"Should I come with you?" I asked.

"No," Bella said, "This is a mother-daughter thing."

I nodded and walked back downstairs. Alice was shaking her head, as if she was trying to get rid of water from her ears.

"Alice?" Jasper asked, "Are you okay?"

"Fine," Alice said, "Everything went fuzzy there for a second."

"You saw something?" Jasper asked.

"The werewolves?" Emmett asked.

"I couldn't see it," Alice said, "But something's going to happen."

"I don't think it is anything to worry about," I said, "I just talked to Bella. We're heading down to La Push again tomorrow."

"Well, there you go," Emmett said, "You couldn't see the Quileutes, that's why it was fuzzy."

Alice nodded, but I noticed she still looked frightened. And I knew that a frightened Alice wasn't anything to be happy about.

* * *

**Cliffhanger! I couldn't figure out a way to end the chapter, then it just came to me.**

Next chapter will mostly be Bella's PoV, so I'll have the discussion and the two phone calls in that chapter.

Hope you liked it! Feedback would be awesome!


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